Music Tames The Beast?
by MlleMary
Summary: "Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak." Does this hold true for our favorite dream demon, Freddy Krueger? Complete.
1. Introductions

_I don't own anything! Don't sue me! Also, this is my first fanfic attempt ever. Be gentle? _:) _[Oh yeah, Christine WOULD be considered my imaginative creation...guess I do own something...]_

Chapter 1: Introductions

"Mmm..what I wouldn't give to stay in here forever." Christine's moan of approval slipped past her lips before she even thought to keep the remark to herself. After the fact, she slapped her right hand over her mouth with a giggle.

Christine was taking a long-awaited shower to try and warm up her cold limbs. Feeling the harshly warm water cascade down her aching and increasingly tired body was almost enough to want to stay in there for hours on end. A grin graced her features at the thought.

She had been working on homework, intermittently disturbed by some movie watching. Not to mention sporadically wriggling around on her computer chair to various tunes. Unfortunately, the little breaks that Christine let herself indulge in made it so that it was nearly three in the morning before what she had planned out for the day was finally done. She really needed to keep quiet and not cause a racket in the bathroom.

Sighing at the borderline boiling water that was enveloping her body, Christine allowed her eyes to flutter shut…

When she opened her eyes once more, she was shocked to find herself in a boiler room of sorts that definitely looked worse for the wear. Christine took in her surroundings, reeling at the fact that just a moment ago she was lathering her body. Shocked, she looked down to realize that she also was naked.

"Wonderful…" Christine muttered under her breath, trying to figure out just how her limbs could be positioned to be as least exposed as possible. She decided to sit on her knees and crossed her arms over her chest. Darting her eyes to and fro, Christine decided that here was no way in hell that she was going to explore this freakish place.

The boiler room seemed to have a life of its own, and it was making Christine jittery. Steam coursed out of different pipes, some intentionally, but the majority due to poor upkeep. 'Who the hell takes care of this place?' thought Christine. Better yet, why the hell was she there?

Just then, Christine thought she heard the shriek of metal. It sent a shiver down to her core, and she wrapped her arms around herself tighter. 'Bloody fucking hell…do I want to know what did that? Or who?' At the latter question, Christine shook her head, trying to snap out of her thoughts. It was just the boiler room…no one's here other than me…

Christine went back to assessing the room, her eyes by now having adjusted to the crimson tint of light that seemed to be the only source of light and color flooding the room. The loose dirty white tiles overhead seemed to teeter, seemingly doomed to fall at any moment. She wondered whether they had any asbestos before laughing at herself. Here she was in the middle of a freaking boiler room in the wee hours of morning, _naked_, and she's worried about _that_?

A boiler an arm's length away decided to spit out some steam at that very instant and Christine jumped with a screech, feeling her skin crawl at the scare. 'It's just machines, don't be scared you nitwit. Stop jumping at every little sound!' Somehow, the little voice in her head wasn't too comforting. Her auburn hair was standing up at the nape, so she decided to run her deathly cold fingers through her wet locks.

Christine didn't know why on earth she was so cold when the atmosphere around her was practically peak summer time temperature. 'Other than the fact that you're naked, wet, and frightened out of your mind?' Christine grimaced. The not-so-stupid sarcastic voice in her head wasn't helping matters much.

_Screeeeeeech. _There it was again! That piercing sound! It was closer this time, too. At hearing the noise occur once more, even the goose bumps that were found on her pale flesh seemed to be getting goose bumps. The blush that graced Christine's features up until now disappeared without a trace, leaving her even paler than usual. She had an ugly feeling that whatever, or _whoever_ was making that noise wasn't just the usual racquet coming from the aged, peeling boilers strewn about the room.

"Nice view," growled a male raspy voice from beneath Christine. Prying her legs open to look underneath herself, Christine's eyes found the source of the comment. How could she not realize that she was kneeling on a gritty catwalk where anyone who was underneath could see her womanhood in its full glory? Not to mention she just gave them a better view right then and there.

Blushing from head to toe, Christine hurriedly got up and crossed her legs before letting her eyes return to the figure whose comment was met with not too much disapproval. 'Most women like hearing positive comments concerning their body,' she rationed with her mind. It had nothing to do with the way his voice sent a pleasant tingling sensation down her spine. None whatsoever.

Christine's eyes widened when she took in the details of the man (was it even a man?) underneath her. Blinking her eyes intentionally a few times, she was sure that her mind wasn't playing tricks – a severely burned figure in a brown dusty fedora was looking up at her with a lecherous grin. Squinting her eyes, Christine could make out the Christmas colors of his ratty looking sweater and if she wasn't mistaken, one of his hands had a glove with claws. That didn't bode too well for her.

All of the sudden, the man materialized beside her. Out of pure instinct, Christine pushed him away from her with a scream, causing him to stumble back a few paces.

"Now, now..that's no way to treat someone you don't know. Not that I didn't mind the flashing, of course." The odd man's eyes glinted as his tongue snaked out, waggling at Christine. Somehow she found it within herself to blush an even deeper red as her hands returned to cover her bosom. With all of her strength, Christine wished at least a simple t-shirt would cover her body. Not being terribly comfortable with her body and having this strange man dressed in long black trousers and a sweater compared to her nakedness were most definitely the factors.

All of the sudden, her wish was granted and a plain white v-neck shirt covered her trembling body, mercifully covering her pasty white skin up to the middle of her thighs. Genuine surprise fleeted across the faces of the two occupants of the stifling boiler room. The charred man narrowed his eyes at her before moving to close the distance between them.

"How did you do that?"

"I don't know…I swear!" Christine's innocent sepia eyes were quite easy to read and the man appeared to be somewhat mollified at her hasty response. It didn't seem to stop him from advancing however, and Christine started to back away slowly.

"What brings you here, little piggy?" The man's azure eyes glinted devilishly as he teasingly clanked his knifes together.

"Piggy?" Christine narrowed her eyes at the eccentric and mysterious man. How dare he call her such a name? The adrenaline coursing through her veins at the moment caused her to draw enough courage to stop retreating and stand her ground, settling her hands on her hips.

Seeing her stop trying to run away didn't stop the man from continuing to close in on her, however. "Yes, pretty little piggy." In one swift fluid motion, the cool blade of his index finger materialized before Christine's lips, pressing on them lightly, yet enough to draw a bead of blood before trailing a soft line down her cheek. His cerulean eyes were markedly drawn to the speck of plasma and before she could protest, he took his left un-gloved hand, forcibly grabbing her curly, over-the-shoulder length hair and crushed her lips to his own thin ones.

Before Christine had time to process what was going on, the charred man was sucking away at her lips. Her eyes shot all the way open as she tried to push him off of her, but it was to no avail. Her lungs ached for a breath and her mouth opened in pursuit of the needed oxygen. This was a mistake, as the man started ravaging her mouth with his tongue, leaving her with the taste of foul incinerated flesh and her own blood. Seeing no alternative, Christine kicked the man in his groin with her knee.

His eyes flashed dangerously at Christine. "What the fuck was that for, bitch?" He brought the glinting talons over his head, slashing at the girl's t-shirt and chest, satisfied when a flood of blood gushed out from the four knife marks left on her alabaster skin.

Whatever emotions and responses his lustful and aggressive kiss stirred up in her body were quickly squashed by that point. Christine whimpered as she pitifully groped at the newly acquired marks on her flesh. That would certainly leave a permanent mark.

"Who…who are you?" Christine whispered, tears threatening to form in her eyes as she looked into the eyes of her assailant.

"I'm Freddy Krueger, bitch."


	2. Déjà Vu

_New chapter! A tad bit short, but hey...an update is an update. Enjoy! (Do review the story if you like it! Let me know! Thank you _Darkness Takes Over_ for the first review!)_

Chapter 2: Another Visit

The sudden freezing cold cascade of Christine's shower jolted her out of her dream. She blindly grabbed for the small chrome handles of the shower faucet and hurriedly turned them off, her teeth chattering and skin crawling. Christine rubbed the water off her eyes delicately with the back of her hands and with a breath of anticipation, looked down at her chest. Four knife marks were staring back at her.

With a shriek, Christine jumped and nearly slipped on the wet surface of her small ivory bathtub. Reaching down to clutch the rim of the bathtub and taking a few breaths to try and steady her heart rate, she dared to glance down at the wounds once more. Christine realized that the gashes weren't as bad as she fathomed, and she could easily conceal them with the usual sort of clothes that she wears.

Christine slowly got out of the tub, dripping all over the oak wooden laminate flooring that her parents recently paid to install. She took care to dry herself off carefully around her wound and with a grimace wondered how to cover up the slash marks.

A few hundred band-aids later, Christine crept back into her room, trying not to stir anyone else from their slumber. Sighing as she let the towel slink onto the floor, Christine looked into her full-length mirror at her body. Feeling bashful even when she was the only one in the room, she hurriedly crawled under her crimson flowery down cover and settled herself comfortably with a long sigh. Looking up at the blue-tinged ceiling, it didn't take long for Christine's eyes to droop and close of their own accord, and she returned to a state of slumber…

Christine's eyelids fluttered open to find that she was back in the boiler room that she dreamed of previously. 'Well, the dream that somehow caused me to wake up with four gashes on my body,' snarled the little voice in her head, to which she in response rolled her eyes at. Not like she could do too much about it at this point. Chancing a look at the incompetent job done trying to conceal those marks, Christine was shocked to see that the band-aids weren't the only thing gone. Her covers were as well.

"I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were comin' on to me!" voiced an amused Freddy from deep within the labyrinth of the boiler room. Christine flushed a deep crimson color at finding herself in the same position as when she first popped into Freddy's realm – stark naked.

Remembering that a bit of concentration would aid in the endeavor of covering her body with something, Christine focused on trying to materialize a floor-length nightgown. Squealing with delight when the silky material covered her body, she triumphantly decided to venture out into the maze of leaky pipes and groaning boilers.

Christine tiptoed down the stairs of the catwalk, her fingers lightly but nervously drumming on the rusty railing. She was lucky enough not to encounter Freddy yet, other than his voice of course, but most importantly his nasty metal-leather glove that sliced flesh like butter. Christine brought her left hand to her chest unconsciously as her feet finally touched the cold ground, in stark contrast to the searing atmosphere around her.

Peeking her head out left and right, Christine didn't see anything unusual, so she decided to follow her instincts and go with the right path. Trailing her right hand on the dirty ashen walls for a bit of comfort, Christine willed her heart rate to slow.

'Mind over matter, mind over matter! I can do this without freaking out like some two year old…' This was quickly disproved when a rat rustled by and caused her to cry out. Christine mentally slapped herself before stopping to close her eyes, taking a deep breath and steadying herself.

"I definitely like you better this way. You've got some terrible taste in clothing. Should've just opted to stay with what you came in with." Freddy's nearby lecherous comments jolted Christine out of her thoughts and she hurriedly looked down at what she was now wearing. A lacy red and green brassiere with a matching thong was what she found.

Christine covered her face with her hands, willing the blood from her burning cheeks to go elsewhere.

"What's wrong, _dearie_?" Freddy inched closer, a mere hand-length from Christine. She could feel his breath on her hands. "No need to be so shy…it's nothin' I ain't seen before!" Freddy's maniacal laughter sent a shiver down her back and Christine dared to peek between her fingers at him.

"Besides, you're flaming HOT!" With those words, flames surrounded the pair. Christine gasped behind her hands, her eyes wide at the blaze that appeared around her. Freddy was still laughing at his little joke when all of the sudden a trickle of water fell on both of their heads. Christine dropped her hands to look up along with the silenced Freddy, curiosity mirrored in their expressions. A few more drops of water dropped on their faces before a torrential downpour of ice cold water doused the two occupants of the boiler room.

Christine woke with a start, finding herself in the comfort of her own ice-cold shower. She blindly grabbed for the small chrome handles of the shower faucet and hurriedly turned them off, her teeth chattering and skin crawling.

Well, didn't that seem familiar?

Christine looked down at her body and to her utter shock, found herself still wearing the obnoxious lacy ensemble that Freddy dreamt up. It didn't quite conceal the knife marks he left on her chest, however.

Clutching her head and wondering if she had momentarily lost her mind, Christine grabbed her towel and hurriedly went to her room. Upon entering, she wormed her way out of the nightwear and hid the wet material underneath her bed with a kick from her foot. Quickly drying herself, Christine climbed underneath the covers and fell asleep with a small smile even before her head hit the pillow.

'_Yes, it was all just a dream…'_


	3. Deliberation

_This chappie is dedicated to the silent readers. You know who you are!_

_Note: Freddy's POV._

Chapter 3: Deliberation

Seeing the auburn-haired girl dissolve into nothing due to the torrent of water that came from what I thought were dormant sprinklers, my mouth twisted into a bitter grimace. Guess things weren't as decrepit here as I thought.

Feeling my favorite red and green sweater starting to sag and having enough of being pelted by the shower overhead, I decided to change the scenery up a bit by closing my eyes and concentrating on my old abode. My rackety old ashen house dissolved into view. Taking in the familiar view in its regal nightly slumber, I leisurely stalked towards the side of my humble abode. I had a bit of time before that girl would return.

Girl? More like slut. They all are. Teenagers these days fuck as if they were trying to replenish the world's population. Newsflash, kiddies..place is filling up! Which is why my services are much needed. I smiled, letting the blades on my glove clank against each other.

Now, how shall I prey upon that little bitch? My smile turned into a nasty grin that marred my already gnarled face. Images of snipping her limbs off by making my claws into scissors, fingering her with my lovely little blades and peeling off her skin like layers of an onion sent a delightful chill down my spine. Looking at my talons, I held them up to night sky and admired the way they reflected the moonlight.

I do have a taste for beauty. Unfortunately, my experiences are such that I know that beauty is only skin deep for people. Which is why I enjoy slashing the superficial idiots to unrecognizable masses of flesh, hee hee! It's the _insides_ that count, right?

As I mused, my gloved hand found its way to the wall and cut a long slit as I continued to walk. Finally noticing this, I was temporarily startled out of my thoughts and stitched the house back together with a bit of conscious effort.

Travelling the small length left to the backyard, I found myself in the presence of three little girls dressed in white party dresses who were quietly playing with themselves in a quaint little sandbox. When they registered my presence, all three of their tiny heads turned towards me with an inquisitive look.

I wasn't quite in the mood to play cat and mouse with them, so I motioned for them to scurry inside of the house. And scurry they did, leaving behind their sand castles and jump rope.

Ahh, the powers of a Dream Demon.

Walking up to the lone wooden swing held up overhead by a branch of an aged oak tree, I wondered whether I should perhaps sit on it to rest up a bit. With a quiet chuckle, I wondered how any of my previous victims would react to seeing Freddy Krueger, horror-monger extraordinaire, swinging his legs to get high up on a kiddie swing.

Hey, I could use that idea for a killing…perhaps prey on someone who is afraid of heights and make them swing on top of a skyscraper before letting them fall to their death or do it to humiliate someone in front of the crowd who was supposed to adore the dirt they step on. Hmm…

Settling myself comfortably on the rickety old swing and wrapping my hands around the metal chains, I tried to remember what I was thinking about before.

I was musing before, wasn't I…ah yes.

I'm powerful. I know it. I've acquired a vast majority of souls by this point.

Every town has an Elm Street…which is why I can afford to play around with my food. I grinned, smacking my lips as I thought back to the time where I put my children's souls in the 'soul pizza'. Yummy. Talk about _soul_ food…

Too bad that bitch Alice had to go and try to kick me around back then. Hm, brings me back to that girly whose mind I'm currently fucking around with. She learned a bit too quickly about how to shape the dream world. Unconsciously, my hands gripped tighter around the metal links I was holding.

Ah, no matter. If there's anything I learned throughout these years, it is that I am ultimately infinite. I am forever.

I doubt she would even think to try and destroy me; I saw her thoughts, and she isn't the violent type. It took worming my tongue in her mouth for her to tick. I stopped to reflect back on that moment of pleasure – the pleading look in her eyes that screamed for me to stop, her slender arms trying to push me away. A growl escaped from the back of my throat before I could stop it.

And that skimpy little outfit (in my favorite colors of course) I made her wear when she dreamt up that hideous nightgown? Pure genius if I say so, myself. That frumpy shit she thought up was akin to something Loretta would wear. At that thought, a look of disgust crossed my face.

Even the best, the smartest of us fall prey to our whims. I was no different, allowing myself to succumb to my adolescent hormones and marry Loretta. It was the only way to get laid on a regular basis. In the beginning, at least.

That obviously wasn't the only reason. It would divert attention from me. I would be doing something everyone else my age was.

Normal, haha! The thought made me snort.

The bastard son of a hundred maniacs had it all – the wife, beautiful daughter, house and white picket fence, a job – but I wanted more.

I wanted to _feel_.

I wanted others to hurt. Hurt like I did.

I wanted others to feel pain by my hand, the claw of death.

Show others their threshold of pain, like I did on my own.

It started off with a few kids. They were cruel to my little princess, so I had to teach them a lesson. It progressed from there.

For once, _I_ had the power. _I _played God. _I _chose whether you would live or die.

My death was a bit of an inconvenience, but afterwards…I felt power like never before. It was everything I ever wanted.

Who gives a shit about a terrible childhood, spent passed around in foster homes like a wrecked toy until placed permanently in a broken household, when I now have the utter delight in tormenting those little shits that remind me of the assholes of my youth?

Plus, it is not like I didn't get my vengeance. It was with utter pleasure that I gutted my _daddy dearest_. Not to mention everyone who ever dared utter a negative word about me or my daughter.

Ahh, my first human kill. A strange smile was lodged on my face as I reflected on that day.

At that moment, I felt the tingle of someone entering my dream world.

There's work to be done…


	4. Insanity

_Needless to say, I don't own the song Glory Box by Portishead. _

Chapter 4: Insanity

It didn't take long for me to return to the world of dreams. Or rather, I supposed that I was in the dream world, considering that when I opened my eyes, I found myself staring into utter blackness with wisps of fog at my bare feet.

It's not like I'm scared of the dark or anything, but I was a bit nervous about what might be lurking in the dark. Or _who_.

My thoughts immediately turned to Freddy Krueger as I ventured forward through the darkness. Who is he, and why the heck was he showing up in my dreams? It couldn't possibly be something my subconscious made up. Surely my mind wouldn't think up a killer for fun?

I must be losing it. It's the lack of sleep, I'm sure of it. I'm promising myself at least six hours of sleep every night once I finally get up…maybe that way my mind won't take the liberty of trying to kill me.

Or getting anyone else to do so for that matter.

Let's just say that this Freddy is indeed someone. Who is he, anyways? What is his story? And most importantly, why was he after me?

A shiver ran racked my body as my mind vividly remembered his leather glove with seemingly homemade blades lodged on his index through pinky fingers.

Wonderful, I was freaking myself out again.

I crossed my arms in front of me, my hands moving to warm up the goose bumps I found on them. With a fleeting smile, I noticed that I was wearing a knee-length white nightgown. That's a bit of an improvement from waltzing about in the nude.

A small giggle escaped my lips as I visualized doing just that. Shaking my head at myself, I was abruptly startled by a sudden flood of light. Flinching at the assault, my hands flew up to shield my eyes.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the new source of light, I found myself in a spotlight. This seems like an interesting turn of events…

Well, if it's my dream, I can do as I please. I don't see any murderers, nor am I in that creepy boiler room…so I think it's safe to sing to calm down my nerves. Perhaps.

Now, what to sing. Hmm. I inched forward and found that the spotlight followed me. Well, okay.

A sudden fleeting thought of singing a sappy love song dedicated to Freddy caused me to sputter and then burst out laughing.

Geez, I think I've gone off the deep end.

Searching in my memory for a song I knew all the words to impeccably, I finally settled with a song by Portishead. I forgot what the title was, but no matter…

I hummed the introduction to the song, mock strumming a double bass as my voice supplied the string part. Unconsciously, my hips swayed a bit to the music in my head and I took a breath to start the song.

'_I'm so tired of playing, playing with this bow and arrow. Gonna give my heart away, leave it to the other girls to play…'_

Shooting a smile to no one in particular, I paused to take a breath, in line with the break in the song.

'_For I've been a temptress too long…'_

At that particular verse, my hands travelled to tousle my hair, which I found was in loose curls.

'_Just…give me a reason to love you!'_

My eyes fluttered closed as my hands slid down of their own accord to my neck, and the back of my mind noted that I had a simple chain necklace on.

'_Give me a reason to be, a woman...'_

Opening my eyes as I finished the verse, I was stunned to find myself in front of a crowd of ladies and gentlemen dressed to the nines. I wasn't given much time to take in my surroundings before I had to croon out the next line.

'_I just wanna be a woman.'_

Chancing a look down at myself, I found myself in a shimmery crimson gown with matching red stilettos. I was also wearing an emerald green boa. I crinkled my brow at the strange choice of color for the feathers, considering I was wearing red. My heart skipped a beat as I realized I had only a few seconds before I had to sing again, so I grabbed the microphone stationed in front of me as I poised myself to sing once more.

'_From this time, unchained, looking at a different picture. Through this new frame of mind, a thousand flowers could bloom.'_

Smiling at the crowd's devout attention, my fingers startled to tangle around the microphone cord as I sang my heart out.

'_Move over and give us some room, yeah! Give me a reason to love you. Give me a reason to be a woman.'_

Finding myself in the instrumental part of the song, I allowed my eyes to wander. My auburn eyes found themselves drawn to a pool of icy blue ones. Oh man, was that guy handsome…the charming way he smiled sent my heart aflutter as he tipped his black fedora in my direction.

A majority of the people in the dimly lit yet classy establishment were smoking, causing a foggy yet comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. I was again drawn to the mysterious man who caught my attention a few moments ago, and I found him downing a golden colored drink. One could only imagine what sort of liquor was in a drink like that.

Wanting to finish by giving it my all, I readied myself to sing again, clearing my throat as discreetly as possible before taking a deep breath.

'_So don't you stop being a man. Just take a look from our side when you can. Sow a little tenderness, no matter if you cry. For this is the beginning of forever and ever! It's time to move over…'_

I let a little silence permeate the air before I closed my eyes and started singing the beginning verse over, letting my voice die away into a whisper.

'_I'm so tired of playing, playing with this bow and arrow…'_

Letting out a deep breath, I dared to open my eyes while waiting for a response from the crowd.

One second…two seconds…

All of the sudden, there was a rapturous applause from the audience. An ecstatic grin graced my features as I absorbed the praise. For a moment there, I thought they didn't like it. Phew.

Still basking in the applause, I thanked the audience for their time, modestly gesturing towards the little band that accompanied me and blew a few kisses before two well-built men escorted me from the stage by offering me their arms. I waved to the crowd as I disappeared behind the stage.

"Thank you, gentlemen!" I whispered to the two guards of sorts as I gave them each a kiss on the cheek. They merely nodded and brought me to my room. The door was decorated with a simple star and my name.

I opened the door to find a simply furnished tan room with a decent sized bed, a vanity whose mirror was surrounded by many dim-lit bulbs and a leather stool, along with a small closet. I settled myself on the stool with a sigh, grinning crookedly at my reflection. Hey, I like this dream...I look flawless! I puckered my ruby painted lips before dissolving into laughter.

I heard a knock at my door and jumped a bit off my seat, startled. Rolling my eyes at myself, I went to open the door and found a crowd of gentlemen with various types of flowers in their hands. Astonished, my hand flew to cover my mouth.

"Christine, sign this!" a man dressed in a gray suit shouted while handing me a pen and a picture of myself in a sultry pose. My eyebrows shot up at seeing the portrait. Ah hell, at least I looked good.

I signed his photo and few others before accepting a few bouquets of flowers graciously and retreating back into my dressing room. Grinning stupidly, I let the flowers down gently on my table and sat back on the stool, mulling over what to do.

All of the sudden, I thought I saw something move as I was nonchalantly staring into the mirror. Spinning quickly around, I spotted the gentleman who I was entranced with as I sang sitting on my bed. With a boyish grin, he stood up, came close to me and proffered a small bouquet of roses that were in his left hand.

Smiling, I accepted them, taking care not to prick myself. "Thanks. They're my favorite," I bashfully said, a blush painting my cheeks.

The man tilted his head in acknowledgement and something flickered in his eyes that I couldn't quite label. "I'm glad you like them. I came to congratulate you on another wonderful performance."

"Why thank you! You don't know how much that means to me!" I almost melted at the tone of his deep voice and burned a shade deeper at his compliment.

The man paused, considering what he wanted to say. "I have a question. Your voice is quite wonderful. Would you perhaps be inclined to…lend it out for me?"

My eyebrows furrowed at the question. What do you mean, lend it out? "You mean, hire me for an event?"

The man inched closer, bringing his cool left hand to my face and he lightly brushed my cheek. My eyes fluttered of their own accord.

"No…I mean borrow your voice."

I was still confused. What the heck could he mean? Him touching me was not helping matters; I couldn't bring myself to focus on anything but the way he hovered over me and caressed my heated cheek.

The man straightened himself before bringing his other hand from behind his back and I was stunned to find that he was wearing Freddy's glove and had a small box labeled 'voice' in the palm of his hand.

Oh shit.

Suddenly, the handsome gentleman's visage turned into Freddy's charred countenance, though he was still dressed in the black tuxedo with red cummerbund and bowtie, along with the black fedora. With a flick of his burnt hand, he locked my door. I ran up to the door, desperately trying to open the handle, rattling it with all of my strength. Shit, shit, shit!

"Oh, Christine!" Freddy voiced in a sing-songy way. "Look at this!"

I dreaded turning around and finding out, but I did so anyway.

With a malicious glint in his eyes, Freddy crumpled up the tiny cardboard box in his palm and ate it, making a show of crunching it in between his crooked yellow teeth before swallowing it.

Opening my mouth to scream, I found that no sound came out of my mouth. My hands clutched at my neck as I yelled, trying to get some sort of sound to come out.

Watching my every move, Freddy burst out laughing in my own voice. It was terribly disconcerting to hear my voice come from him. This is just a dream, this is just a dream…

As if reading my thoughts, Freddy stalked over to me before sweetly mocking me with my own voice, "No, this is not a dream!"

Before I could react, his coarse hands grabbed me and roughly threw me on top of the bed. Freddy took his sweet time to close the space in between us. As he bided his time, he made the green feathered boa around my arms rip in half and tie both of my hands to the headboard. I desperately shook my head no, wishing him to go away, not wanting to know what he would do to me.

Freddy cruelly grinned at me before yelling in his own voice, "It's not rape if she doesn't say no!"

He lunged at me, cutting a huge slit along the right side of the dress as well as clipping the flesh of my thigh in the process as I tried to kick him off of me. Because he freed up the clingy material, Freddy then used his legs to prop open my own and with a crazed grin, held up his talons, prepared to strike.

I was frightened out of my mind. I closed my eyes, preparing for the worst.

_Beep beep! Beep beep!_

Opening my eyes, I found myself in my own bed and shot upright, pounding on the snooze button. My heart was racing inside my chest. Thank goodness for the alarm.

Wait. I didn't put on the alarm before I went to bed!

Fear seizing me again, I clutched at my neck, trying to say something. Nothing came out! I screamed inside my head, clutching my hair as if I wanted to rip it out.

"Wake up Christine, wake up!"

Opening my eyes slowly, I found that I was once again in my bed. My mom was standing next to me with a worried look.

"Christine, you were whimpering and talking ever since you fell asleep! What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Almost afraid to try to talk, I cleared my throat. "Nothing, mom. I don't remember my dream, actually."

I was terribly relieved to find that my voice was back, even though it was terribly hoarse. I let myself sag against my headboard for a bit, trying to recuperate from the night's events.

"Well okay. Get ready for school and I'll start on breakfast." Mom left my room and I was left alone with my thoughts.

Am I losing it completely?


	5. Mindless

_You know what I thought amusing? Almost every Noes fic (and fics in general) features either abusive parents or parents out of the question entirely. I know a majority of households aren't perfect, but still… Anyways, sorry about the wait. But guess what? It's Spring Break! So, between homeworking, I'll sneak in some writing (Psst, reviews are superspecialawesome.) Another thing, those of you who have watched The Dark Knight should absolutely go check out The Joker Blogs up on YouTube. They won't disappoint. xoxo_

Chapter 5: Mindless

With a sidelong glance at my alarm clock, I despondently sighed, pushing the covers off myself as I rubbed my tired eyes to greet the day. It goes without saying that I'm not a morning person.

Seriously, whoever thought up the concept of getting teens and children up at ungodly hours to be tortured for hours on end at an institution called _school_ should be burning in hell. Next to Freddy.

With a grimace, my hand unconsciously went to brush my chest, finding the knife marks I thought would disappear once I woke up. Looking down at the angry marks, I swore under my breath. Guess I really am losing it.

Crawling sleepily out of bed and making it out of habit as I stumbled over myself, I mapped out my plan for today; a daily routine. Breakfast, school, homework, work out, play some music and collapse into bed. Nothing in particular to be done today. Thank the heavens it's Friday.

My eyes still closed, I made my way to the bathroom to empty my bladder. Dragging my fingers through my knotted auburn mane, I marveled at the strange dreams that plagued my sleep and somehow coincided with reality. I've truly got to figure out about this Freddy character. Somehow, he seems a bit familiar, though I can't really put a finger on it…

I felt myself becoming sleepy and I jolted myself awake before I wasted any more time. I've got to pack myself up for another day of school; I can't afford to catch a few winks. Especially not in the bathroom. My eyes narrowed as I warily took in the green shower curtain, as if expecting it to lunge at me at any second.

Shaking my head as if to clear my silly thoughts, I got myself situated and reached for the clothes I picked out yesterday. A pair of simple straight jeans pared with a blue striped dress shirt soon covered me and I reached for the brush to try and comb out the knots in my hair. Looking at myself in the mirror, I noticed the terrible dark circles beneath my eyes. Ugh, I really need to get some sleep.

"Christine, hurry up! Breakfast is ready!" Ahh, my cue to hurry the heck up. Hurriedly, I dragged the comb through my hair a few more times before pulling it into a ponytail and rushed back to my room to stuff all my books neatly into my backpack. Hefting it onto my shoulder and immediately sagging at its weight, I felt the familiar load of having everything I needed and proceeded down two flights of stairs to get to the kitchen.

Letting the heavy backpack awkwardly fall to the floor with a loud thump, I sunk into my usual seat around the round wooden meal table. I graciously accepted Mom's offer of coffee with a warm smile and within seconds held a warm cup of Joe between my cold fingers.

"So Christine…what were you dreaming about last night? I heard you moaning and talking in your sleep." Mom settled down into the chair next to me, resting her over-worked hands daintily on the table.

"I don't remember, Mom. " I lied through my teeth, knowing she'd probably think I was insane if I told her what happened. Or showed her what the byproducts of the dream were. Maybe I scratched myself during the dream. That would make sense…

"I guess that's better than remembering, sometimes. What time did you stay up until? I heard you wandering around in the wee hours of morning."

"Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to wake you up." I took a minute to try and remember what time I went to bed. Two or three? I think so. "Yeah, I was up until almost three in the morning. Doing homework, you know. These teachers are trying to kill me. Especially math – she made us make up formulas for para-"

"Okay, Chrissy. You can tell me about it once you get home, but you'd better start eating now before you miss the bus. I stuck two waffles in the toaster, they should be done by now." Mom reached over and squeezed my hand with a kind smile before getting up to give me the food she spoke of.

Munching on the waffles that were proffered, I let my mind go blank and tried to think of absolutely nothing. A fleeting thought of hating school appeared in the black abyss of my mind, but I quickly pushed it away with a smirk. Everyone who went to my school hated it; it was no secret. The staff were no different.

Without realizing it, I finished my food and I brought myself back to reality as I washed it down with the rest of the hot coffee. Smacking my lips loudly I went to the small half-bathroom that was in our basement, the current floor I was on. It wasn't much of a basement considering only part of it was underground, but it wasn't my choice to name this floor the basement.

As I started to brush my teeth, I peered into my reflection, quirking my head to the right a little. I really did look tired. If I cared a bit about my appearance, I would've caked on something to hide it. Somehow, I preferred not to try and hide my imperfections. It's what was encouraged from my childhood.

Taking a glance at my watch I realized that I only had a few more minutes to get to the bus stop if I was to make it on time. I hurriedly finished brushing my teeth, spitting a few times before splashing water into my face and peering into the mirror again. Smiling at myself, I saw a trickle of blood appear on my teeth. Oh, wonderful.

Dragging my tongue along my teeth to try and wipe it clean, I put on a pair of black sneakers hurriedly and grabbed my pea coat. I was halfway out the door and burdened with my heavy bookbag before I stopped and poked my head back in the house.

"Bye, Mom! Love you! Tell Dad the same." I continued with my long strides without waiting for a response after I locked the door behind me. With a laugh, I remembered the countless times that my parents told me that I walked like a boy. It's not my fault that I walk with a purpose.

Feeling a bit more awake by this point, I let my bookbag slip onto my arm (to its protest) and fished around my first pocket for my mp3 player. I wasn't much for small talk on the bus or bus stop. Besides, it was always crowded. Slipping in the earbuds, I flicked the small device on and pressed play.

Bad idea.

Needless to say, I jumped a tad bit high when my ears were flooded with the music of Mindless Self Indulgence – Shut Me Up. I pressed the next button instead of adjusting the volume in my haste.

Ahh, that's a bit better. I was now listening to the eerily peaceful 24 Blood Theme from the Dexter Soundtrack. Sighing as my eyes fluttered closed but still walking towards my destination, I let my heartstrings get pulled by the melancholy strings. Oh, music.

If there was one thing I was good at other than being a smartass, or school work, it was music. I was instilled a love for music ever since I was a tiny kid. I would have my parents to thank for that – they even met at a dance. Dad was a singer in a band that comprised of his own siblings, and Mom just fell head over heels.

Thinking about my own experiences with that silly emotion, my mouth curved into a grimace. I have no need for such a sentiment, not now. I had my books, my music and a handful of friends. That's all I need.

I was suddenly startled out of my thoughts when I heard a car horn blaring. Trying to find the source of disturbance, I smiled to find one of my best friends in his old, but functional car. I pulled out one of my earbuds when I saw that he was opening his window.

"Care to hop in?" Mike asked, a grin on his face.

I hesitated, knowing that my parents wouldn't quite approve of me getting into a car with someone my age, nevertheless anyone male. Honestly, they had the most old-fashioned views of anyone I have ever met.

Ah, screw it. "Sure thing, Mike!" I returned, a smile lighting up my features. This sure beats taking the school bus. I'd take his reckless driving over it any day. I still remember a time a few years ago where the school bus driver rammed into an unsuspecting van as it was cutting a corner. That left us all out of a ride for about half of the bus route.

Getting into the hoopdie (A/N: slang for shitty car), I sunk into the cheap cottony fabric of the front passenger's seat, letting my knapsack sink to the ground appreciatively.

Feeling the lurch of the car as it sped to make the light, I rapidly put on my seatbelt. I couldn't trust him _that _much.

"So, did you get to doing that history assignment?" Mike looked over at me with a winning smile, the dimples creating a cute and irresistible look.

"Well duh, who do you think I am? You?" I answered, returning a sweet smile. Damn that six foot long blonde, blue-eyed man. _Boy._

"Hah, hah. Very funny. I do have a social life, unlike _someone _I know. That would be the cause of my not finishing homework."

"And apparently not bothering to start it either, as well. When are you going to start doing it? It is senior year, and I've been shouldering the homework responsibility long enough, don't you think?"

His eyes focused back on the road, Mike chortled. "A few more months won't kill you. I'll get to doing homework in college."

Somehow, I don't think he will. I quirk my eyebrow at him, waiting for him to acknowledge it.

"Of course I will do it! I mean, I already got into college, what's the point of doing homework now?"

"Especially if your best friend does it, right? Oh, Mike. What am I to do with you." I wonder if he realizes that it was my work that got him into the college of his choice with a full scholarship.

"Nothing. You're going to give me the history assignment, right?" Mike gave me a puppy dog look, knowing that I would eventually give in. I decided to forego the dramatics and nodded.

"You're the best, Christine. You know it, right?"

"Yep, yep…I hear that all the time." I sighed as I turned away to look out the window, watching others from our school trek the sidewalks.

Mike and I have been friends for years now. Though he could be a pain, he was ultimately a good person. One of the handful of people I could actually talk to. He was my voice of reason. Well, sometimes. He, and my other friend Alyssa. We could tell each other anything without judgment or worries, and in today's world, that's a quality not found in most.

My parents are the type that believe in starting to date after you have established yourself in the world and have a stable job. It is no wonder that they did not let me out of the house (and still don't), and though it is maddening, I try to survive. Mike sometimes sneaks over when the parents are away doing groceries or the such. Other than that, I'm stuck to my own devices.

"Hey Christine, listen to this!" Mike switched on his iPod, letting Lady Gaga's song 'Boys, Boys, Boys' blare in the vehicle. He started singing along to the music, leaning over and taking my hand. I started giggling at his antics and joined him. Mike had a nice voice; he was in the choir in our school.

Anyone looking in at our antics would come to the conclusion that he was either dating me or was swinging for the other team. Even some of my teachers questioned whether I was with him, to my great embarrassment. We just felt comfortable in each other's presence; was that so hard to imagine?

Before we knew it, we were in front of the hellhole also known as Springwood High School. Mike let me get out in front of the school and went to search for a parking spot.

Waiting outside for him to return, my mind returned to my crazy dreams of last night. Nibbling at my lip, I resolutely made up my mind to see what I could find on the internet once I got to my keyboarding class. It was the only class I had all day that I could relax in – the rest were high level classes. Normally, seniors try to take the easy way out and do their best to leave the school by lunch, but not me! No, I had to be the foolish one and take a full day as a senior.

Then again, I did have to fulfill my requirements. Taking a computer course was one of them. Keyboarding was the easiest choice – I already knew how to type quickly, so it was a breeze.

"Earth to Christine?" Mike waved a hand in front of my face, amusement plainly written on his features. I'm glad I had him and Alyssa in a few of my classes.

"Yeeees, Mike?" I batted my eyelashes at him, trying not to laugh at myself.

"I do believe that we have class to get to." A grimace crossed both of our features.

"That we do. Let's go then. Alyssa awaits our presence."

"Pfft, you and I both know that she isn't here yet." Mike cordially held the door open for me to go inside and I murmured a thanks.

As we entered the old building, I decided to forego telling them about my dream until I figured out a bit about who the heck Freddy Krueger is…

...and why he was after me, of all people. In my _dreams._


	6. Investigation

_It's almost 4 in the morning. Why am I not asleep? Well, soon I shall be. (R&R, you lovely people! Your reviews spur me on!)_

Chapter 6: Investigation

Not surprisingly, the school day went by agonizingly slowly. Every few minutes I would look apprehensively towards the clock, sometimes catching it flashing odd times such as 80:00 or 66:66. The technology in the place was a bit screwy, conservatively speaking.

Not one that had many friends, I politely made small talk with my fellow classmates and kept my caustic, witty and sarcastic remarks directed towards Mike and Alyssa, causing them to chortle during classes that would have otherwise been boring.

My last class couldn't come by quick enough for my taste. My fingers were itching for access to a computer, even though I knew the ancient machines wouldn't try to cooperate. I had to coax out that information about Freddy today. I would go nuts thinking about it, otherwise!

Relieved to finally hear the harsh ring of the bell signaling 11th period, I rushed out of my German class and eventually out of the front doors of the school with a quick 'Auf Wiedersehen!', rushing through the crowded hallways and maneuvering my way through kissing couples and towering students. Groaning at having to wait for the light to turn green again in order to cross to the technology building located across the street, I was prodded by someone. Spinning around immediately with a quirked eyebrow, I was face to face with Alyssa.

"Hey, doll." Alyssa smirked at my chagrined expression.

"Hello again, lovely. Have a wonderful time in your math class?" I sang in a sarcastic voice, shifting the heavy bag on my right shoulder, trying to alleviate a bit of the pressure. I should honestly start wearing it on both shoulders before I develop a crooked spine coupled with the hunchback that I presume will grace my form by the end of my schooling days. Abominable book bag.

"Oh, I had an utterly divine time. Anyways, do we _have _to go to last period? Actually, scratch that. Do _I _have to go?" Alyssa brushed back a few strands of the stick-straight raven shoulder length hair that teased the tip of her tan button nose due to the light breeze with a flourish.

"Naturally. You have to keep me awake." A bit of seriousness crept into my voice before I recognized it had. I quickly broke into a smile before she caught that something was amiss.

Alyssa sighed, rolling her eyes as she played with the zipper of her stylish black leather jacket. "Only if you promise _not _to keep me awake."

Laughing as I linked her arm with my own, we crossed the street and soon started the arduous trek up four flights of stairs.

Panting as we entered the small room, pleasantly warm due to the multitude of computers that were stationed in a horseshoe pattern, Alyssa and I reached for the sheet of paper which was to be our assignment on the teacher's desk. Like always, it was to type up a sheet of words and sentences on the word processor and print it out for grading purposes. The relatively new male teacher that taught our class left us to our own devices, texting away on his phone, knowing that it would be a waste of his time to lecture to a group of students who grew up in the blossoming age of technology.

Plopping down in our regular seats, we both typed in our school IDs and passwords without a second thought. We looked at each other simultaneously and I smiled tiredly at Alyssa.

"You look pretty awful if I say so myself, Christine. You need some quality sleep." Alyssa propped her arm up on the computer table, resting her head upon it after pushing her purse out of the way. The concerned look that pierced through her chestnut eyes warmed my heart, and I almost felt guilty about not telling her about my crazy ordeal last night.

"Yes I do, but not here. Listen. I normally don't fall asleep during class, I mean, it's almost against my _nature_, but I've been swamped with homework and all and clearly," I gestured to the dark circles under my eyes with an upward quirk of my lips, "have not been getting enough rest. Just make sure that I don't fall asleep during class, okay?"

"Alright, Chrissy. Just as long as you do the assignment and print out a copy for me, pretty please!" Alyssa charmingly pleaded, pouting her lips in supplication.

I nodded with a grateful smile and she returned it. Alyssa's eyes flickered back to see that her computer was up and running and she righted herself in the uncomfortable plastic chair to play around on the internet.

Taking a look at the straightforward assignment, I decided to research Freddy before starting. It shouldn't take too long.

Clicking open the internet browser and then taking a discreet look from the corner of my eyes to see if anyone was watching, I hastily typed 'Freddy Krueger' into the browser. Clicking enter with a gulp, I saw only a few articles pop up. Picking the very first one, I was disappointed to find that the site was blocked.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Every single one that I clicked was blocked. I guess the school's information technology department knew about the guy. I wondered why they would block everything about him.

Trying a different approach, I just typed in 'Krueger'. I was met with his full name: Frederick Charles Krueger. Chuckling to myself, I wondered how Freddy would react to being called by his full name. I suppose his Mom would've done just that if he got caught causing trouble.

Rather than clicking on the website itself, I opened another tab and went to Altavista's Babelfish and tried putting the website URL there, 'translating' it into English.

Bingo!

The website worked, and I was met with an article about the mysterious man. A gritty picture was shown at the top of the page and I was mildly shocked to notice he was wearing the same garb as when he appeared in my dream.

Certainly freaky. You would think the man had at least _some _variety in his wardrobe. I hid a giggle in the palm of my hand, trying not to attract attention to myself.

As I read the article, a bit of fear stirred from deep within me with certain key words. Not only did he murder countless children in Springwood, but he murdered his own wife and his daughter was taken away from him.

Yikes, a daughter? And he was a child murderer? Hmm.

I had to give in to a twinge of pity as I read about the abuse he endured as a child, but in no way did that justify his actions. Son of a hundred maniacs…

Suddenly it clicked into place – I remembered where I heard his name mentioned. It was history class a few years ago! We were talking about the most dangerous criminals that we could think of. If I remember correctly, he was brought up by one of the girls who obviously did her homework. The teacher dismissed him quickly, not even bothering to explain what he did. Well sure, he didn't come up to the ranks of Hitler, but he was evil enough to kill innocent children…

Anyways, now I know a bit about him. That still doesn't explain why I seemingly dreamt of him out of the blue, or why I have his trademark glove marks on my chest.

Looking up at the time, I figured that I'd better get to typing the given assignment. Opening up the word processor, I positioned the paper right on the left side of my keyboard, not needing to consistently look up at my monitor to check if I was right.

A, s, d, f, j, k, l, ;. As, that, the, at, on. You, he, she, it, they.

Feeling drowsy, I rubbed my eyes with a yawn as I looked over at Alyssa who was cheerily typing away on her keyboard before returning to my paper.

One, two, three, four, five. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten. I have one pen. She has two pens.

Feeling my eyelids become heavier and heavier, I sigh, resting my head on the wooden computer table. With a jolt, I remember that I can_not_ let myself fall asleep! Not in school, at least…what if I have a nightmare again?

Shooting back up in my seat, I rub my hands together and start typing once more.

One, two. Freddy's coming for you. Three, four. Better lock your door.

...Geez, what kind of worksheet is this?

Five, six. Grab your crucifix.

What the _hell_? My eyebrows furrowed together as I seemingly bore a hole into the paper, blinking a few times to see if I read it correctly. Looking around at the room, I didn't see anyone else reacting to the words on the paper.

Ah, whatever. I guess it could say stranger things.

Seven, eight. Better stay up late. Nine, ten. Never sleep again.

Looking up at my screen to see if I correctly wrote the contents of the worksheet, I realized that the font was not the Times New Roman, 12 point black font that I chose. Oh, no.

It was a bloody lettering, literally dripping from where I typed the letters. Squinting to see what font it was, I read out loud, "Freddy's Font".

No…I must be imagining things. Freddy only bothered me when –

Shit. I must be asleep.

Damn you Alyssa, wake me up!

Curiosity getting the better of me for the moment, I hesitantly drew my hand up to the computer monitor, wincing when I touched the warm crimson liquid that dripped from the words that I typed. It certainly felt like real blood, and I wasn't about to taste it to confirm the fact.

Looking towards my right, I frantically pulled at Alyssa's arm, begging for her to look at me, show any type of response whatsoever! Screaming furiously when I got absolutely no reaction from anyone in the room, my eyes flickered back to the computer screen when I noticed something was happening with my screen. Letters were appearing.

'Hey _doll_!'

Transfixed with the eerie print, I stood there gaping at the screen. More words materialized.

'Aww, don't you want to talk to Freddy?'

Warily approaching my uncomfortable seat, I sat back down and inched myself forward slowly with my feet. I took my sweet time typing my response, afraid to touch the keys as if they would scald me if my fingers brushed them for more than a few seconds.

"Perhaps?"

In response, huge letters conveyed his amusement: 'HAHAHAHAHAHA! You certainly were interested enough to look me up, doll face!'

Before I could respond, Freddy used my mouse to open the internet browser once more, looking up his name. Clicking on the first article he could find, it surprisingly wasn't blocked and had a picture of the day his trial for murder was dismissed. Freddy's well-used fedora hid his face, he was wearing his signature sweater and slacks and he was being escorted by police who kept his hands behind his back.

Suddenly, the picture moved and I was staring into the unblemished face of Freddy before his scarring. A triumphant grin was on his features, and he wriggled his left hand away from the officer to wave at me.

At a loss about what to do, I just sat there dumb-founded. I certainly wasn't going to wave at a picture on a computer screen.

I was saved from having to choose something to do when Freddy stepped out of the picture and settled onto the word processor, leaning against the scroll bar languidly, right hand still behind his back. I could imagine what I'd see should he wave at me with _that_ hand.

'Soooo…you wanted to know about little ol' Freddy? Make sure you warn all your friends!' As soon as the last bloody letter filled the screen, it was erased, and in its place was Freddy's mug shot along with a short description stating his full name and his occupation: Dream Killer.

Copy after copy immediately spouted from the printer, immediately folding itself and finding its way into each person's backpack, purse or pocket.

Freddy was doubled over in laughter in the corner of the word processor and I stared at him, bewildered. Finally building up my reserve, I reached over to the computer mouse and closed the word processor, effectively taking him off my screen.

That was only temporary. The word processor popped on again with an angry Freddy glaring at me. I gulped.

'Bitch!'

Not knowing what else to do, I tried to wipe the word literally off my screen with my hand. It caused the word to smudge into a red blot on the screen. As if sensing that he would try to pull me into the computer, I hurriedly took my hand away from the screen.

My premonition was right: his hand reached out, narrowly missing my wrist. With a growl, Freddy pulled his hand back only to jump out from my computer screen and clutched at my throat fiercely with his gloved hand.

Desperately gasping for air and feeling his blades dig into my skin as I thrashed against the swiveling plastic chair, I cursed Alyssa for not following my simple instructions. Was it so hard to fulfill one of my few requests?

Finally realizing I still could use my legs against him, I kicked Freddy harshly in his shin. A dangerous look flashed in what I passively realized was a flame-like eye color.

I was going to die, wasn't I? At school, no less.

_OW! What the –_

Blinking my eyes repeatedly and coughing as my lungs accepted the much needed oxygen, I felt the red hot burn of the slap given to me.

Alyssa was looking at me with a sheepish grin. The rest of our class was gathered around her, staring at me as if I had suddenly grown a third arm.

Slowly picking my head up from the rough table, I grimaced as I felt my head throbbing.

"Nnnngh. I'm alive." I mumbled, ever so eloquently.

"Yes, Christine, you are. And there's five minutes left of class. You were mumbling, _screaming_ actually, in your sleep and suddenly bloody marks appeared on your hands and neck. Care to explain?"

Looking at the expectant faces around me, all I could do was shrug. "No clue, really. Sorry."

Still not satiated by my response, the crowd refused to abate. Closing my eyes and gritting my teeth, I expelled a long breath before asking them politely to please leave me be. They reluctantly obeyed after Mr. Thayne told them to take their seats.

I could've sworn I heard someone mutter freak.

When the prying individuals of the class were finally engaging each other with trite conversation, I turned to Alyssa with a scowl.

"Didn't I ask you to make sure that I stayed awake?"

"Well, _yes_, but I don't think you should be the only one mad here. You've been clearly hiding something from me." Alyssa pointedly looked at the angry slashes on my neck with an annoyed frown.

For the millionth time today, I heaved a big sigh. I took the elastic hair tie off my hair and ruffled my locks, appreciating their length when they covered the fresh marks.

"Alyssa…it's a long story."


	7. Lucidity

_Freddy, then Alyssa's POV. Enjoy. (It's 5:30 in the morning…)_

Chapter 7: Lucidity

As I felt Christine slip from my death grip, I could honestly say that I didn't feel too disappointed. My objective this time was to use her for her fellow classmates. Killing her would admittedly be a bonus, considering the little piggies would get frightened. Grinning with excitement as my claws clanked together in anticipation, I couldn't wait to face the prospect of new victims to torment. I felt the need to squeeze the life out of someone (or a few someones) today, and it _will _happen.

Smirking as I replayed the events that just occurred, I laughed richly and naturally darkly at Christine's reactions. The look of pure astonishment and horror as she finally acknowledged that her bitch of a friend let her conk out – now _that _was priceless.

And the way that she wasn't sure whether to say yes or no as to carrying out a conversation with me? Gee, I knew I was a stunner, but apparently I was a great raconteur as well!

Ain't that a 50 cent word…

Allowing myself to indulge in some narcissism, I brushed my right fist containing the claws of death along my sweater, seemingly to clean them off. I really was ingenious, printing out the flyers about myself to speed up the process of making my name general knowledge.

Switching my present location to the more comforting one of my boiler room, I allowed myself to pace comfortably in the heated labyrinth of boilers, waiting for anyone to dare close their eyes.

Freddy's waiting.

* * *

"Christine. That's the craziest shit I've ever heard. I think all that church going must've gotten to your head."

Christine's look was anything but amused. Well damn, was she listening to herself? Maybe she finally lost it. I told her that taking her studies and life in general too seriously was going to kill her.

"Alyssa, you saw those marks blossom out of nowhere for yourself, didn't you?" Christine was looking at me with pleading eyes. I wish I could believe her, I really wish I could. I mean, normal people don't usually start asphyxiating when they catch a few winks.

"Maybe it's a case of stigmata." I offered, with a hopeful shrug.

"This is anything _but _holy, Alyssa. Man, I'm _still_ weirded out by him. I feel like he's watching me at this very instant." A darting look from side to side clearly showed this anxiety, as if it weren't emaciating from her like waves.

Rolling my eyes, I looped Christine's arm in mine as we made our way across the street towards the buses. "Hon, if he only creeps on you when you're asleep, then you should be safe right now."

My logic clearly made sense to her, and she relaxed a little bit. There, that's better.

"Now, you just get home and try to get some rest." When Christine looked at me with wild eyes, I knew I misspoke. Whoops…

"I mean, well. Actually. I don't know. I don't know what to tell you. Take care of yourself, Chrissy."

Feeling her sag against my side as I all but dragged her along, Christine sighed and looked at the cracks in the sidewalk with mild interest. Maybe all of the stress that came along with senior year was the cause of all of this.

Yep, it's gotta be.

Leaving her in front of the 62 bus, I pushed her towards the open doors with what I hoped was a cheerful smile. "I'll talk to you later online, okay Christine? Get home safely."

Christine was obviously still shaken from the encounter because she merely nodded and wished me the same, climbing into the bus that was slowly filling up with students.

Utterly friggin' strange.

Shaking my head at the crazy events of the past hour, I headed towards my car. A sense of pride washed over me as the statement reverberated in my head. _My _car. I worked my ass off for countless hours in our local grocery store for the old thing, and I was proud of it.

Admittedly, it wasn't the snazziest thing you ever laid eyes on, but it did its duty. Finally opening the amethyst colored car door and haphazardly throwing in my belongings onto the back seat, I settled myself onto the comfortable cottony cherry cloth of my chair.

Revving up the vehicle, I manually opened the window to let the breeze tousle my hair after pushing the power button to the radio, turning it on. Hearing a boring commercial, I rolled my eyes and reached over to the CDs in the glove compartment, randomly choosing one. Nearly all of them were CDs that I made myself, so I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed.

Jumping a bit as I heard the powerful shredding of guitar, I laughed my skittishness off as I recognized the song. Surprisingly, I was introduced to it by Christine herself. It was by the band Mindless Self Indulgence - Shut Me Up.

I took care to make sure that the road was clear before pushing on the gas. No sense in killing myself on the road. Feeling myself lurch forward with the car, I grinned happily as I remembered it was Friday. Thank the heavens above! I do believe it is cause for celebration. I survived another week in this hellhole!

Resting my left arm on the window, I felt compelled to sing along with the familiar lyrics even though I knew I was awfully tone-deaf. I gave into the urge, belting along with the lead male singer, not caring in the slightest if anyone was watching. Drumming my hands along the old steering wheel to the beat, I noticed the red light ahead and slowed down.

Since I was in the right lane, I automatically looked over to see who was driving next to me. Noticing a relatively striking man in what I guessed were his thirties (I was terrible at guessing such things) driving in a used but polished silver Chevrolet Corvette convertible conveniently with its top down due to the nice weather, I winningly smiled at him, willing him to look over. As if feeling my eyes on him, he looked over after a beat. An elegant eyebrow quirked up in part amusement and interest and I giggled despite myself.

Turning down the track just as a whip cracked, I brazenly took up a husky voice as I greeted him. To my immense satisfaction, a small blush courted his cheeks as he muttered the same in return.

"Nice car you have there. I can tell what model it is, but what year is it?" I licked my lips as I waited for his answer, noting that his eyes flickered from my eyes down to my lips and back up again ever so briefly. I felt a wonderful thrill tingle down my spine and I continued smiling at him.

"2004."

"It's a sweet _ride_." The emphasis I put on the last word wasn't lost on him, and he gaped slightly at me. Noticing the car in front of me lurch forward, I stepped on the gas without so much as a wave goodbye. Feeling satisfied and accomplished laughter bubbling up from inside of me, I allowed myself to giggle uncontrollably as I drove past the line of pretty little cookie-cutter houses that meant I was still close to the school.

Cranking up the music again, I nodded my head along to the fast-paced beat of the music that seemed to pulse within me. It was moments like these that I lived for – no worries, blaring music and the anticipation of a date tonight. Smiling at that thought, I almost failed to notice that the car in front of me suddenly stopped and I hurriedly pressed on the brakes as hard as I could, trying to avoid a collision. I even pulled the emergency handbrake just in case.

Holding in a breath and almost scared to look, I let out the breath and sagged against my seat when I realized that I was about an inch away from their car. That was certainly close. Perhaps I better take off the music for now.

The rest of the drive was uneventful and I pulled up to my familiar rusty red apartment complex in no time. Getting out of the Honda, I stretched myself out and heard some satisfying pops from various parts of my body. Going to the other side of the car, when I opened the passenger door to get my books and purse, I heard the familiar thrum of my mother parking her station wagon in the spot next to me. Admittedly, at one point I wanted her well-kept car. Then I realized that having it would probably mean I would have to do the shopping for the household – something I really didn't want to have to do, even if it was just Mom and I. Cooking and cleaning occasionally was enough for me.

"Hey honey! Did you have a nice day at school?" her chirping voice inquired.

"Did you, Mom?" I retorted. My mom was a third grade teacher, hence the annoyingly happy disposition. Just my luck, wasn't it, to have a teacher for a Mom. I'm just glad that I never had her as a teacher.

"Why yes, I did. I always do. You know that." By that point, Mom was trying to balance all of her bags in her hand and was locking the vehicle.

I rolled my eyes as I did the same to my car.

"Oh, I just remembered, don't forget that your doctor's appointment is on Saturday." With that one sentence, a wave of fear hit me like a ton of bricks. I _really _hated going to the doctor.

Sensing that I didn't follow her, Mom turned around to see what was wrong. After a split second she remembered.

"Come on Alyssa. You're how old now? Eighteen? And you're still scared of the doctor?"

Through sheer willpower, I forced myself to move from the spot I was seemingly rooted to. "Mom, it's not the doctor I'm scared of. It's…well, the needles."

Mom smiled comfortingly at me as she opened the doors for us both to come in. We were lucky enough to have a ground floor apartment, so all it took was a few steps for us to reach our door. After the brief fumbling of keys and lights, we were inside the moderately sized complex.

It truly was a nice apartment, thanks to Mom's and my own combined effort. It was painted a beige color throughout, and had a homey feel to it. The combined living room and kitchen was big enough to have a comfortable leather couch and a moderately big size television along with a sit-down counter for meals. Mom and I each had our separate bedrooms; each decorated and tailored to our own tastes as well as a small pink bathroom. It was really all we needed.

Picking up where we left off in our conversation, Mom continued with, "I doubt that he will administer anything in the form of needles. You already have all your vaccinations done. Besides, it's just a routine checkup."

I was a tad bit mollified after hearing that. The corner of my lip twitched upward, eventually forming into a smile. "Hey Mom, is it okay if I go out tonight? I've got a date with Raymond."

"I don't see why not, as long as you're back by 11 the latest. And he better not try anything funny with my daughter!"

"Moooom," I groaned, hiding my face in my hands in mock shame. Shrugging my shoulders, I added, "I guess I could live with the eleven o'clock curfew."

"Good. I'm going to whip up something for dinner. Want anything in particular?" Mom already started rummaging in our refrigerator, on a quest to find something easy to prepare.

"Not really. Mom, I'm gonna take a nap actually. Not exactly hungry at the moment. If you make anything, just leave it on a plate or something. I need to rest up for tonight."

"Sure thing, honey. Getting some beauty sleep, hmm?" A teasing glint was in her eyes. It was easy to see where I got my looks from; even though she was breaching her forties, Mom still held her shapely figure. My raven colored hair was almost an exact replica of hers (though obviously not the same style, eww) and I had her expressive eyes.

Laughing as I left the room, I shook my head at her. "See ya in a bit, Mom."

"Sweet dreams, sweetheart."

Closing the door behind me softly and leaving my purse and books on my cluttered table next to my laptop, I fell face-forward into my sweet-smelling cerulean covers with a big sigh. Ahhh, I was awaiting this moment ever since I got out of bed this morning.

Grudgingly getting up in order to peel off my coat, jeans, shoes and clingy blouse, I was soon left in my underwear. Taking a quick glance at my full mirror, I smiled at my reflection, proud of how skinny I was. Working out and eating sparingly really made me look great in my clothes. Snapping myself out of appraising my body, I quickly grabbed the plain white t-shirt and shorts I used as my pajamas and climbed into bed. As I nestled myself into the comfortable bed, it didn't take long for me to drift off.

Fuzzily opening my eyes again, I found myself sitting on an uncomfortable fabric chair in a peach office of sorts. Quirking my eyebrows, I wondered how I got here. I definitely was just lying in my bed a moment ago.

Ah, a dream. I looked to my left and noticed Mom leisurely leafing through a Newsweek magazine. That is certainly what she would do in real life, I passively mused.

"Alyssa Lyman?" a voice called. Eyes darting to find the source, I took in the site of a stout and bubbly female nurse. Smiling as my body stood of its own volition, she dragged a loose lock of blonde hair behind her ear before motioning for me to follow her into the room that was conveniently right next to her.

As we walked into the bright sterile-white room with nothing on the walls but a small drawing of flowers and medical tools, the nurse patted the doctor's chair that I was to sit on. Feeling a bit anxious, I settled myself on the black leather chair and hid my hands underneath my thighs, trying to get them to stop shaking.

After checking my temperature, pulse, blood pressure and asking a few questions about my habits, the nurse told me that the doctor would be arriving shortly before leaving in a flurry and leaving the door open. My nerves came back full throttle.

Looking for something to distract myself with, I noticed a cute little girl standing by the door with a melancholy smile. My heart wrenched and I felt pity for the poor thing, definitely effectively distracted. Before I could compliment her on her beautiful attire consisting of a little frilly knee-length white dress coupled with the cutest black pigtails with crimson ribbons, she opened her mouth and sang eerily, "One, two, Freddy's coming for you…" before retreating slowly from the door, calmly sitting next to my mother in the patient waiting room and swinging her little feet as if she hadn't a care in the world.

Goosebumps flared up on my body when I heard her singing and I was effectively weirded out.

What the _fuck _was that? A shiver racked my body before I could stop it and I tore my eyes from her. Creepy little girl.

"Hello, Alyssa." A middle-aged attractive doctor entered the room I was in with a bright smile, which I hesitantly returned. My eyes roved over his body, appraising his fit figure in the bright light of the room before looking at the name on his tailored Doctor's lab coat. My mind noted his silly tie – it had Christmas colors, red and green. Strange during this time year. Then again, I am dreaming.

My eyebrows furrowed together as I tried to figure out how to say his last name. "Hi, Dr. Re –"

"Dr. Regeurk." The man chuckled as he ran a hand through his russet short hair. "Trust me, you're not the first one to not know how to pronounce my name. Now. I've looked at your records, and have both good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

I considered it for a moment. "Bad news, first."

I'm not sure if it was just me, but the smile fleetingly had a hint of something sinister in it.

"I looked at your records, and I saw that you need to have some vaccines done for college. Plus, your mother requested that you get the HPV vaccine. She said you've been fucking around and need it." Dr. Regeurk's smile just grew wider.

My jaw and stomach dropped at his words. No. _No._

"The good news is – I'll be the one to jar each precious needle into your arm!" With that, he waved his right arm in the air, showing me a leather glove with needles on the tip of each finger.

Suddenly it all clicked. Regeurk – it was Krueger, backwards. As a look of horrified recognition washed on my face, Freddy's sinister laughter filled the room followed by buckled restraints winding themselves around me.

Christine's fucking story got to me – now _I _was dreaming about him! Fuck. My. Life. Well, at least I knew this was just a dream.

As if on que, Freddy's handsome face dissolved into the horrifically burnt one Christine described to me with great detail and he took a few more steps to invade my personal space. He was too close, _too close_ with those needles. I felt the panic grow within me as I struggled against the tight bonds of the brown leather belts. "Oh no, little piggy. This is no dream. Too bad you didn't listen to your friend. It's no matter if you don't believe though, your Mom will see her little slutbag dead. Then your friends will follow! Now. This isn't gonna hurt. Me, that is." Wasting no time, Freddy plunged the chunky needles into my arms, immediately causing a flood of blood to gush out of the wounds as he gleefully laughed at his bad joke.

The excruciating pain and hysteria I felt meant this was no dream. But how could this be? I was definitely asleep. My thoughts were momentarily silenced as Freddy sliced through more of my skin by dragging the thick needles down my arms. Intensely screaming, I struggled against the bonds, trying to break free from his torment.

Freddy's eyes were alight with amusement and sick satisfaction when I met them and I almost felt like throwing up at the disgusting sight.

"Poor baby Alyssa. Scared of needles. Well, not anymore she isn't!" With a flick of his hands, the needles changed into his signature claws. With a sinking sensation, I knew that I was going to die.

"Please. Don't." Tears streaming from my eyes, I begged him to leave me alone. That only served to spur him on further.

"Ahh, music to my ears." Freddy leaned down until his acrid breath was tickling my ear. "Let Freddy hear you scream," he whispered. I could almost see the sick smile he had plastered on his face just from that voice.

Freddy plunged the knives deep into my stomach and I coughed up a sizeable amount of blood along with my shrieks, effectively staining almost entirely the white t-shirt I was wearing. It was only a matter of moments now, considering he was ripping my insides by moving them every which way.

My last comprehensible thought before I surrendered to the darkness was, "Man, I never got to go on that date."


	8. Reconnaissance

_I love my reviewers! It's really nice to hear from you guys. (Insert Hearts here! :3)_

Chapter 8: Reconnaissance

As the bus finally lurched to a stop in front of my appointed bus stop, it took a concerted effort for me to peel my eyes away from the window I was staring out of aimlessly, spaced out.

It's actually kind of funny – I space out occasionally, thinking about absolutely nothing, to only get interrupted by my parents or my friends asking what I was thinking about. When I truthfully answer that I was thinking of nothing, they don't believe me.

Heaving my heavy backpack onto my shoulders but carefully making sure that I didn't hit anyone close by, I inched forward towards the door and the fresh air that awaited me.

Smiling a bit as I took in the familiar sight of the slightly downtrodden street that I lived on, I wrapped my right hand around the shoulder strap of my backpack. Tugging the strap away from my shoulder, I stared at my fairly used black sneakers as I marched forward, reveling in the silence that always seemed to reign in this part of town, marred only by the chirping of birds. This part of the city was quiet to the point of eeriness. Everyone minded their own business, from the young to the elderly.

Someone's voice jolted me from my thoughts and I was sorely disappointed to find that the owner's voice was Jack, who followed me _yet again_.

"Hey Christine! Are you there?"

I didn't try to veil the annoyance in my voice as I replied. "Unfortunately. What do you want?"

I wasn't stupid. I recognized that glint in his eyes, the look of thinly-hidden desire in his coffee-colored eyes. To his disappointment I'm sure, there was no way I could possibly fall for his 'studly man' attitude. A shudder ran down my spine. Please don't do anything stupid. I'm in no mood right now…just let me go home.

"Nothing. Just wanted to talk and walk you home." Jack looked at me with a pompous look that almost made me sick. Does he not recognize that I am just _not interested?_ Not to mention that he was about two years younger than me; I mean seriously, boys my own age were stupid enough.

"I can do that by myself, thank you very much." Unconsciously, I crossed my arms in front of my chest as I continued to walk, looking forward again. I couldn't help but feel miserable when I found that it didn't dissuade him from continuing to follow me. My jaw visibly clenched in anger and I let my arms fall down to my sides, clenching and unclenching my fingers in and out of fists.

To my mortification, Jack slipped his slimy hand into mine. Out of pure astonishment, I looked at him with an astounded look. The _gall _of that worm! Jack was smiling as if what he did was the most natural thing in the world to do at that moment.

Furious, I hissed at him, "What is your problem?" Nothing was going to wipe off that self-assured smile off his face, I realized. Ripping my hand from his, I continued to walk forward faster. Thank goodness that my house was only a few feet away.

Turning towards Jack, I informed him that I was next to my home and he was 'free to leave me'. He inched too close for my taste and begged me for a kiss on the cheek. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his request.

"Look, Jack. I don't even kiss my friends on the cheek. Why would I do that to you?" I made sure that my tone was anything but friendly. It really wasn't in my nature to be mean and he was just preying on my good nature, which I just hate. Must I be an asshole to just get by?

"Pleeeease, Christine? I'll leave you alone after that, I promise." Hmm, that offer seems tempting. I mean, it is just one kiss on the cheek and then he'll leave me be afterwards. Sounds good. If it means I won't be stalked by that creepy kid anymore, I'll take that offer.

Heaving a sigh, I nodded my assent. Leaning over to kiss his darkly tanned cheek, he suddenly crushed me against his muscular chest and kissed me full on the lips.

Well, this is certainly _not _what I signed up for. Astonished enough not to react for a few seconds, Jack took full advantage of that to let me go and prance away, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Did he just do that?

Wiping my lips on the sleeve of my pea coat, I realized yes – yes he did.

Numbly walking the few feet left to my house, I cursed the occupants of the houses next to mine. Stupid blind occupants who couldn't help me out in my time of need…

Opening the side door that was left unlocked for me, I was greeted with a cheery hello from Mom. Dad wasn't back yet from his job, as I expected. Mustering up a smile and greeting Mom hastily, I hurriedly went to the bathroom, plunking my book bag to the floor and staring into the cabinet mirror at myself. Making a disgusted face, I turned the left faucet fully on and used the almost steaming hot water to wash and scrub my face.

How the fuck _dare _he do such a thing!

Anger finally bubbled over and coursed through my body, adrenaline pumping through my veins a bit too late.

Why oh why did I have to be so passive? I just took what he did without a fight. I mean granted, I was stunned, but still.

Looking back into the mirror, I looked into my visage. I wasn't particularly stunning, though admittedly not ugly. Was my vulnerability attractive? Was that it?

Pulling myself out of a round of disgusting self-pity and what-ifs, I planted a believable smile on my face and finally got out of the bathroom to start the trek to my room. I wondered how this day could get any worse.

Finally plopping down onto my uncomfortable leather computer chair, I automatically went to turn the machine on. Feeling a headache coming on, I massaged my temples and took a deep breath, trying to relax and close my eyes. I definitely need to tell Alyssa about this incident once she comes online.

Alyssa. Suddenly my eyes flew frantically open. I just remembered her habit of taking a nap once she gets home from school before she goes to either work or out with friends. Gosh, I hope that she wasn't stupid enough to disregard my warnings. I can't bear to see her torn apart, not right now.

Being the fairly religious type, I got out of my chair to kneel by my bed, steeling my breath as I began to pray. I prayed for myself, for Alyssa and for everyone who had the misfortune to find out about this monstrous Freddy. I even chanced a prayer for Freddy, hoping by some odd miracle that he would stop being a rampaging homicidal maniac.

Not that I really thought that was going to happen.

Making a sign of the cross with a hint of a wry smirk, I went back to my computer screen and immediately signed on to my Instant Messenger, hoping beyond hope that Alyssa would be on. With a sinking sensation, I noted her absence.

I really hope that she's alright.

"Christine, time for dinner!"

Interrupted from my moodiness, I quickly yelled back, "Okay, Mom!" and hurried downstairs. Molding a smile back on my face, I took my usual seat by Mom. I'm glad I had so much acting experience; doing plays and such things really has helped me with controlling what façade I displayed to the world. The façade I chose to let down among my few friends.

"How was school, Christine?" Mom inquired, an affectionate smile on her face as she dug into a bite of homemade pizza. My stomach grumbled in hunger and the fake smile got a bit of a genuine touch.

"Crazy, as always. I just wish it was over," I truthfully answered. Mom mockingly tutted at me in disapproval.

"Honey, if we had opportunities like you have –" I held up a hand for her to stop, which she surprisingly did.

"I know, I know…but I don't necessarily have to love these opportunities." Grabbing a hefty slice, I bit a nice chunk out of the cheesy slice, taking care not to get myself messy.

Mom conceded the point with a small nod and I smirked in triumph.

After munching on our slices of pizza in silence for a short while, I asked Mom about her night at work. She was a nurse and always had a few hilarious stories up her sleeve about her nightly work. People turn crazy during the nighttime, apparently.

I was half listening to her stories after remembering what lurked during my nighttime. A certain Freddy Krueger.

I still had more questions about him, but there was no way of figuring out how he got the power to appear in people's dreams and kill them. Those who found out are probably dead by now.

Finally finishing a second piece of the delicious cheese pizza, I politely excused myself from the table and rushed back to my room, hoping that Alyssa was on.

Crashing into my seat, I was disappointed to find that Alyssa still wasn't online. I'm absolutely sure she wouldn't take that long eating; it wasn't a secret to me that she tried to keep thin by any means possible. This only got me even more worried.

I rolled my chair over to my book bag, rummaging through the front pocket to find my cell phone. It wasn't a particularly new or snazzy phone, but it was functional. With a sense of anxiety, I dialed her number and waited for a response as I rolled myself back in front of my computer.

_Beep, beep, beep, beep. Hey, it's your favorite girl, Alyssa! Leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can._

With a sigh, I clicked the little red disconnect button, not bothering to leave a message. She'd know it was me.

Biting my lip in part frustration, I cursed not being able to check up on her. I wasn't going to ask my Mom either. I mean, how would she react? "Hey Mom, there's this creepy burnt guy who preys on me in my dreams, and somehow when I wake up I have the knife marks that he gave me. I think he'll get to Alyssa too, so can you let me see if she's alright?"

Yeah, it's better if I just stay here. How can I help her, though?

_Die for her._

The whispered statement reverberated in my head, and I mulled it over seriously even though part of my brain screamed that I was sincerely nuts.

Am I, though? To want to die for my best friend? It would be the ultimate sacrifice. My life would thus be given meaning, wouldn't it?

Freddy was fucking around with my mind…but I won't let him have the satisfaction of screwing up my values and morals.

I _won't_ let him kill my best friend!

Resolutely, I turned off the screen of my computer off along with the lights and closed the curtains to the sole window of my room. Before stripping down completely, I paused to kneel next to my bed for the second time today. A prayer came to my lips that seemed appropriate.

_N__ow I lay me down to sleep,  
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  
If I should die before I wake,  
I pray the Lord my soul to take._

Lying comfortably down on my side, I curled up and willed my thoughts to hush. Amazingly, after a little effort, they did. It was easier to slip into slumber then I thought it would be.

Opening my eyes rapidly and regretting it instantly, I found myself in a strikingly white hallway. It took a few moments and blinks of my eyes in order for them to adjust, but once they did, I noticed that the hallway stretched almost infinitely with a door at the end. Quirking my head questioningly, I figured that I would have to get there to find Freddy.

Starting at a fast-paced walk, I was jolted into a jog when I heard the faint sound of screaming.

Please don't let it be who I think it is…

As I kept running, the hallway elongated to match my pace, and as I turned back, I was met with utter blackness. Apparently I wasn't supposed to go back, but forward. Then…_why?_

Of course. So that I come too late.

Running as fast as I could, I knew I was getting closer due to the louder sound of the screams. My heart jolted when I recognized who it came from. It was definitely Alyssa.

My lungs protested the lack of oxygen by giving me a burning sensation but I paid them no heed as I got closer and closer to the white door. I reached my hand out, straining to just touch the handle…

Just when I thought I'd never reach the end of the hallway and would just collapse out of sheer exhaustion, I pulled open the door handle and ran in without a second thought.

I ran into an absolute black abyss and was immediately plunged in utter darkness, starting to fall deeper and deeper into the unknown. I flailed my arms about, hoping to find something to hold on to, seriously freaked out as my heart rate was off the charts.

"_Christine, wake up!"_

I shot into an upright position, gasping for air and covered in sweat. I whipped my head to the left to see Mom next to my bed, all the blood drained out of her face with a phone in her hand.

"It's for you. Your father." I knew it. I knew it. I _knew _it. I inched my hand forward slowly, not wanting to hear the words I knew for sure were coming. Finally grasping the receiver, I brought it to my ear, a tremor shaking my hand visibly.

"Christine? Alyssa…Alyssa's dead. And what's more, there was. Ahem, there was a message scrawled on her body. Knife marks. It said, 'Hey Christine!'."


	9. Bloodthirsty

_Freddy POV! You asked for it. ;)_

Chapter 9: Bloodthirsty

Watching Alyssa's marred body dissolve into nothingness, I all but collapsed in maniacal laughter. Oh, was Christine going to _love _my little present for her! I did a beautiful job on her little slut, I have to admit. I obviously didn't foresee that she'd try and interrupt my little fun by taking a nappy too, but I wasn't just going to let her take her friend's place. Oh no. Not just yet…

I have plans for her. I want to see just how far I can push her mentally. I want to see her morals crumble and break. Seeing that she put so much faith into her beliefs makes me want to see what it takes to break them…I want to see if I can make her go _crazy_. More…in line with my own beliefs.

A few chuckles continued to escape my burnt lips as I licked off the blood found on the claws of my trusty old glove. A jolt of pleasure racked my body at the taste of the metallic substance. A growl of pleasure escaped from the back of my throat and my thin lips curled into a dangerous grin.

I certainly loved my job.

Feeling the familiar pricking sensation of someone entering the dream realm, I concentrated to see who it may be.

Hmm, a little piggy named Jacquelyn.

Ah, the usual host of fears held by girls: bugs, snakes…boring.

Let's see what she enjoys…ahh, she has an obsession with the Twilight series, does she? Grinning evilly, I knew exactly how she'd fall.

I've seen my host of Twilight fanatics, considering I did target the young and impressionable. I haven't yet done something like this, but I'll see how it goes.

Conjuring up a mirror, I concentrated on chiseling out my features to look like Edward: crazy russet hair, high cheekbones, full lips, and a deathly pale pallor. I wouldn't go so far as the ridiculous flamboyantly gay sparkle skin, though.

I decided to go with a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt, nice dress shoes and a gray pea coat finishing off the look. Wiggling my eyebrows at my visage in the mirror amusedly, I switched the scenery from the doctor's office to a simple, dimly lit high school hallway. Leaning coolly against a locker, I waited for my prey to come around the corner and become _bedazzled_.

A few moments passed before I saw the scared fragile frame of a Spanish-looking girl finally turn the bend to the hallway I was languishing in.

A confused look crossed her face before one of astonishment lodged on her darkly tanned skin, coupled with a look of want.

Gotcha.

Walking up to her slowly, I shot a smile clearly meant to relax her. It accomplished just that, as she started to also close the distance between us.

"Jacquelyn." I whispered tantalizingly, boring into the sea green hue of her eyes. I noted with satisfaction the gulp that followed.

"Ed – Edward?" she questioned, eyes darting from my eyes to the lips she saw a slip of my tongue dart over.

"Yes, my love?" The blush that adorned her cheeks became even darker at my 'proclamation of love'. She was melting right into my hands.

She was clearly wondering what to do or say. Using that to my advantage, I took a cool hand and brushed it against her cheek. I was rewarded with the fluttering of her long dark lashes.

Her thoughts were all muddled up by this point. Ahh, hormonal teens. So dependable.

Leaning forward just close enough so that she could kiss me if she lifted her head up a little bit, I studied her eyes before her body chose to close the distance and make the decision for her.

Yuck, she was a _terrible _kisser.

Removing my mouth from the vacuum of hers, I trailed a line of seemingly sensual kisses down to her neck. Glancing up to look at her face, I realized she was totally oblivious to what I was going to do. If she opened her eyes now though, she'd notice the evil glint gleaming in my eyes.

Too late, piggy.

Without further ado, I sunk my pointed teeth that I purposely elongated a second ago into the flesh of her neck, sucking greedily at the flood of blood gushing out of the wound and into my waiting mouth. Now _this _was arousing.

Finally realizing what I was doing to her, the little brat tried pushing me away with an anguished albeit painful cry, but my grip on her shoulders was too strong.

Lapping at the steady flow of blood in ecstasy, my arousal grew and I spitefully ground it against her wriggling body with a heady moan. I could just imagine the comical mixture of horror and pain that was on her face at that moment.

Feeling the fight in her slowly dissipating, I retracted my lips from her neck with an audible 'pop', wanting to see her reaction.

I wasn't disappointed. She was a mass of blubbering mess of warm tears and snot. A crazed grin marred my otherwise attractive features as I took the sight in.

Her eyes fluttered open as she grimaced in pain. A cracked voice whispered, "Why? I thought you didn't drink blood, Edward!"

My grin grew even wider after hearing her small voice. Where was the tough, loud-mouth Latina now?

Gripping her naturally curly onyx-colored hair in my left hand and pulling it harshly enough to hear a whimper, I smiled sinisterly before answering, "Too bad I'm not Edward, bitch!"

I changed myself back to my usual charred self, evoking a horrified gasp from the little twat. A look of recognition flashed in her eyes as she tried to find a way to escape.

"You! You're that freak from the paper I found in my purse!" I mockingly gasped at her words, faking hurt.

"Gee, a freak? That ain't nice. Didn't your parents ever tell you that if you have nothin' nice to say, it's better not to say anythin' at all?" I briefly considered slicing off her tongue, but I ultimately decided that I would save that for another victim who decided to be mouthy. It would spoil the effect on this one.

I quickly jumped on top of the unsuspecting brat and continued to suckle at the wound as she squirmed underneath me. It was only a matter of time until she would stop, I'm sure she was feeling the effects of the massive blood loss by now.

Wanting to speed up the process a bit just in case anyone decided to drop in to say hello, I grabbed her right wrist and sliced it deeply with the blade that was lodged on the index finger of my glove, then immediately clamped my mouth on it. Savoring the taste of her blood pouring into my mouth, I felt her go limp as she fell unconscious. She was a few moments away from drifting away completely.

Now that wasn't too bad, was it? I cackled at my inner thoughts as I sat up in order to pull her flimsy t-shirt up, wanting to use her as a canvas for another message directed towards Christine. I wonder how she reacted to my first one…

Wondering what to put, I ultimately decided to take my time and dig the message 'Want a bite, Christine?' deeply into the little piggy's chest.

Stepping back to look at my work, a proud feeling filled my chest until I noticed that she was still breathing, even though it was very sparsely. Rolling my eyes, I slashed her other wrist and put my ear next to her mouth to hear her dying breath.

Satisfied as I heard her last gasping breath and then total silence, I got up in time to see her fade into nothingness.

Just another one of my children…


	10. Safety

_Woohoo! Tenth chapter! Enjoy. This is dedicated to my sister, whose Birthday is today. Love ya, sis._

Chapter 10: Safety

Returning the sweaty phone as calmly as I could back into my mother's ready palm, I asked her in an unwillingly dead tone to leave my room for a few minutes so that I could dress up properly. The last thing I needed now was an inquiry about the harsh marks on my chest that I'm sure would in turn make her worry about me even more.

Rubbing my eyes to make sure that this all just wasn't a dream, I tiredly reached for the worn wooden drawer next to my bed, the contents of which were an assortment of underwear. Picking out whatever came to my hands first, I slipped the garments on without a second thought and reached for the jeans I previously listlessly threw on my computer chair. Pulling open the organic wooden sliding door to my closet, I took out a simple t-shirt, not bothering to see what it had written on it. Grabbing a pair of plain white ankle socks, I headed downstairs to face reality after slipping the pair on.

Mom was standing next to the cheap coffee machine that the back of my mind noted was going to be replaced by the one I would buy as an expensive upgrade as a Christmas present, pouring a cup of Joe into the ivory mug currently rattling in her left hand.

"I think I'll have one of those," I smiled grimly as I grabbed an empty mug proclaiming 'I love you!' hanging above our kitchen sink, holding it out in front of me expectantly. "Somehow I think I'll need it."

Carefully settling her own steaming cup down, Mom nodded her assent as she gently plied the cup out of my hands, hesitating a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking.

"I know this must be hard for you, Christine. I'm sorry that you have to be going through this. Your Dad told me that he had a few questions for you, and wants you to go to the station. A police car will be here shortly. Do that and try to come back as quickly as possible. I'm worried about you, honey." As she handed my mug back, Mom looked momentarily too old for her true age, forty.

On cue, the distant sound of a police siren was heard. I didn't feel the particular need to respond to her statement, so I brought the cup to my lips and welcomed the scalding liquid down my throat. I suspected Mom wasn't waiting for an answer. Putting the cup down momentarily, I put on my familiar pair of sneakers and coat before grabbing the mug again to warm my cold hands.

You know, sometimes I hated the fact that my Dad was a cop. They could call him in at any time, and he'd have to drop everything and go.

Then there were times that I could pride myself in the fact that my Daddy could protect me. I had a hero as a Dad; I was proud to bring him in for show and tell.

Can Daddy protect me now?

The answer was no. Much as I'd love to comfort myself with lies – no, he can't save me this time.

The true question was whether I could save myself. Whether I would want to.

Wait, was I giving up so easily? Nonono, that wouldn't do. Alyssa would have died in vain.

Taking another long sip from the cup, I winced at the hot coffee.

I didn't have the capacity to kill, though. I was born and raised a Catholic. That would go against its most basic premise – respecting and valuing life.

Even if it was that of a psychopathic child murderer?

Ripped from the increasingly disturbing thoughts, my eyes registered Mom opening the door for the policeman standing at our doorstep. Momentarily halting my musings, I got my act together and together with a forced smile and adieu to my Mom, took the proffered arm of the obviously new recruit. I let myself be coaxed into the front passenger's seat and buckled into place after the gentlemen opened the door for me.

Gee, wasn't he nice. Not sparing a second thought, I looked coyly at him through my lashes before smiling winningly at the young man. "Thank you, officer." Satisfied with the faint blush that courted his cheeks before he nodded and fumbled to close the car door, I wryly internally chuckled. Boys will be boys, whether in uniform or not.

My eyes followed his hasty jog in front of the police vehicle, ending in opening his car door smoothly and swiftly. Sliding into his seat, he immediately revved the vehicle up and automatically went to put on his seatbelt.

My mind let itself be quieted for the short while, taking in the officer's actions with a modicum of interest. When he got to driving in silence, it quickly became bored until I heard his uncertain voice break what I'm sure he thought was awkward silence.

"I'm sorry – I'm sorry about –" I cut him off by clearing my throat.

"It's fine. Well, not really, but what can you or I do now?" With that, the silence crept back between us as he deftly wove through the small amount of traffic in the roads.

It's better for both of us if you keep your eyes on the road, buddy.

Speaking of which… "Hey, can you do me a favor? I know that we're only a few blocks from the police department, but can you make sure I don't nod off in here? I'd hate to be grumpy or groggy when we get there."

The officer looked over at me with a kind smile and I really took in his attractive young features. Beautiful deep blue eyes that just begged for you to trust them, a dignified nose, high cheekbones coupled with a set of full lips and little dimples on each side. Being a police officer suited him, I could tell.

"Sure thing, Ms. Dawson." Quirking my eyebrow at the formality, I allowed myself a chuckle and told him to call me Christine or risk making me feel old.

Sighing as I looked back out the window as we whizzed by a multitude of housing structures, I rested my forehead against the cool plane, immediately feeling the soothing effect it had on my hot forehead. Funny, I didn't notice that I was a bit feverish.

I allowed myself to follow the train of thought that I somehow didn't quite leave behind at home, letting my eyes close briefly. I was near the police station, nothing to worry about here.

Poor Alyssa. I can't believe _he _killed her. She had numerous years of life ahead of her.

And she was killed because of what? The fleeting fancy of a murderer?

The message scrawled on her body…that puzzled me. Was it meant to scare me? Well, obviously. But something told me that he meant to tease. I couldn't be sure.

But damn, did he have to kill my best friend? One of the only two true friends that I could count on? That was harsh and vindictive. He did it to strike a chord within me, and he _succeeded_. Who's next? My parents? Mike?

I don't think I could mentally take it if he took either or both away from me.

When I would one day thing back to this exact mental deliberation, I didn't know how true it would eventually ring.

"Christine." A voice sensually whispered my name, and it didn't take me long to figure out that I did in fact slip into slumber. I wonder what kept him from doing anything but sitting there as the policeman as I mused.

Feeling a vague hint of the dig of his claw on my back, I steeled myself before turning around to meet his familiar figure. There he was, eyes on the road, driving with only his left hand and his claw still on my back.

"Freddy." I breathed his name, tiredness overwhelming me more than anything else. It didn't keep the anger from surfacing, however. "Why?"

I saw his lips twitch upwards, morphing the flesh of his burnt face in decidedly interesting ways, my mind distantly noted. It was funny how the burn marks looked so fresh, so long after the punishment was dealt…

Honestly, I knew he was either going to not answer my question or make up a lie. Freddy decided with the former, opting for silence as he trailed his right hand to my shoulder, languidly drawing circles on my pea coat with the tips of his blades.

"Christine?" I felt myself being jolted. My eyes flew open to realize I was still resting against the window. Turning around to face the officer, I noticed that he had a worried look. "I'm sorry that I let you fall asleep. I was distracted by the road until you muttered 'Freddy'."

A wave of dread washed through me; I'm glad the officer woke me up when he did. Who knows what Freddy might've done? Or what I might've said…

"It's alright. I'm not mad." Not terribly, at least. I flashed him an assuring smile and the man visibly relaxed before returning it.

"We're here. Let me get the door for you, and I'll take you to your father. He's waiting for you inside."

Releasing myself from the seatbelt, I let myself be led inside the heavily guarded fortress known as the Springwood Police Station with thoughts of Freddy clouding my mind.


	11. Pokerfaced

_Freddy and Christine's POV. Try not to get lost. _:)

Chapter 11: Pokerfaced

My oh my, was I enjoying this more and more!

My favorite little piglet at the moment, Christine, was certainly proving to be a worthy choice of my interest.

Well, that much is obvious, considering I haven't killed her yet.

Her thoughts positively tickle me pink. The fact that she has qualms about killing a "psychopathic child murderer" due to her religious beliefs really strikes me as funny. Especially considering I finished off her slut of a friend whom she was clearly dear to.

And her question as to why I did it? Not only because I could, but because I want to see what it takes for her to step over that boundary she has established for herself and want to kill me. Or kill in general. Whichever comes first.

It's obviously not because I want to be kicked into the realms of the underworld again, but because I know I'm strong enough to survive her attempts, should she ever endeavor to. That, and I haven't had any real fun since…well, a long time. Better not to recall the events of the past.

Christine, Christine. What will it take for your mind to come around and see the true beauty and art of taking a person's life away from them, making their life _yours?_

Haven't you had enough examples in your life to see that the majority of people don't _deserve_ to live?

I will teach you through whatever means I need to, and you will see things my way. Beneath that church-going stuck-up exterior, there lurks something beautiful underneath.

My little pet project…

* * *

"Christine, Alyssa wasn't the only one. Jacquelyn Hernandez was also killed about fifteen to thirty minutes ago. Died of massive blood loss, had lacerations on her neck and wrists. The message was again on the victim's chest, and it said, 'Want a bite, Christine?'"

I buried my face in my hands. I just saw Freddy a few minutes ago, which means I saw him immediately after he murdered the girl. Perhaps that was why he was so calm?

Reveling in the kill?

…What on earth does he want from me?

* * *

Feeling the almost forgotten sensation of occupying a human body, I looked down at the tag of the officer who Christine travelled with to the Police Department.

Officer Miller.

I'm glad she muttered my name during her little nappy time and that he caught it. It was enough for me to muscle my way into his consciousness as he was about to drive home. The guy was up all night and was on his way home to his girlfriend and a nice amount of sleep, when he decided to rest his head on the steering wheel for a moment.

Well, now he isn't. Right now, a certain Freddy Krueger has taken possession of the previously mentioned Officer Miller while he mysteriously fell asleep at the wheel.

As I exited the police vehicle, a deliciously dangerous smile curved my lips upwards.

This will be fun.

* * *

"I can't believe it Dad. My best friend is dead. A girl from my class is dead. I don't want to even venture to guess who is next." I looked sadly into Dad's worried countenance before my gaze dropped back to my lap.

"Looking at the killer's messages, he quite obviously knows you. I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't try to kill you; I think he has another modus operandi. Still, we can't be too cautious. I'll assign someone to keep watch over the house when I'm not at home. Okay, sweetie?" Dad reached over the stack of paperwork to grab my slender fingers in his burly warm ones, massaging them comfortingly.

I opened my mouth to answer when I heard someone tap on the office door. Squinting through the half-drawn blinds, I recognized the officer from before.

"Come in, Officer Miller." As the officer entered the tight office, Dad straightened himself back into his high-backed leather chair and continued with, "I thought you were off for the rest of the day?"

Officer Miller stood in back of the seat next to mine, leaning forward and resting his clearly well-defined muscular arms on the arms of the chair. "I was just about to leave, but I received an anonymous tip and learned about where the next murder would take place. The next victim is located at 64 Elmore Avenue."

My stomach plummeted as my heart skipped a beat. That was Mike's address.

"Dad, that's Mike's house," my voice meekly croaked. Dad was a flurry of blue as he quickly moved to put on his coat and leave the office.

"Oh, and Sergeant Dawson? We traced the call. The guy's name was Fred. Fred Krueger."

* * *

"Keep an eye on her, Officer." Christine's father was out the door before I could respond.

"That I will…that I will." Pulling the chair on Christine's left side to the right and behind me, I eased myself down on the chair, not dropping my gaze from her eyes. They were beautiful, conveying the torment, pain and anger she felt at learning her other half was about to be murdered by none other than myself.

I was giving the man a head start, but I knew that he would get there in record time and tell the kid about my threat on his life. Then he will learn about me, and when he gets put in protective custody, I will show just how futile that whole hiding endeavor was.

Fear will spread. I will get more power. And if I play my cards right, I'll have won over a certain someone to my way of thinking.

* * *

Freddy was doing exactly what I thought he would. Targeting all the people that cared about me. What did he hope to gain from it?

Royally pissing me off, I'm sure. He knew it would, along with shattering my heart.

Well, I won't let him get to Mike if it's the last thing I do. Still caught up in the officer's eyes, I knew exactly what I had to do.

"Officer Miller?"

* * *

Hearing her timid voice, my lips twitched upwards of their own accord. Take the bait, take the bait…

"Yes, Ms. Dawson? I mean, Christine."

I could see the internal battle going on in her head; she made no attempt to truly hide it. I guess she was truly distressed. Which only meant that she was more likely to fall into my trap.

"Can you take me to Mike's house?"

* * *

"Now, you know that your father told me to keep an eye on you. He would definitely not approve of me taking you to the site of what could be a murder."

Anger bubbled inside of me and I didn't try to quell it, snapping back at him, "_Fuck _my father. He doesn't know what's going on. I'm the only one that can save Mike."

An elegant eyebrow curved upwards. "Oh, and how do you think you can do that?"

"Look, I don't have time to explain. Just take me there."

Officer Miller looked like he considered it for a moment before shaking his head no.

* * *

"I'm sorry Christine. I can't. But you can feel free to tell me how to help your friend, since we have all the time in the world right now." She was so close to snapping, I could tell.

_Do it!_

Seeing her jaw clench, I knew she made up her mind. Heaving a big sigh, she dragged her fingers through her hair before getting up to stretch, making sure to curve her body in a way that inched her t-shirt up and showed me a little bare midriff.

Mmm, now _that's_ more like it.

* * *

Intently studying the officer's gaze, I saw that his eyes trailed down my body and lingered on the exposed flesh that I bared whilst stretching. Good sign.

"Man, I needed to stretch. Nothing better, sometimes." I paused before continuing, licking my lips because I felt they were dry. "You know, I've been told that my hands can be quite magical when it comes to giving massages. Care for one, since we're both stuck in here?"

The officer looked a bit wary at first, but nodded his head in agreement. Smiling brightly, I walked the short distance to the back of his chair before placing my hands gently on his auburn hair.

"First I'll start with the head. It really is relaxing and feels good." Raking my nails lightly on the man's scalp and through his thick hair, I heard a low groan emerge from his lips as his eyes closed.

Wonderful, now relax entirely…

* * *

Damn, that felt good. Having a head of hair really was nice, along with someone to massage circles in it with their fingertips. She wasn't lying about being good.

"Now, I'll start on your shoulders. They seem really tense. Let me work those muscles…" Christine slid her cool fingertips down my neck, leaving goose bumps in their wake. Starting to knead my muscles, she bent forward to breathe into my ear, "Feel good?"

Intending to show the little minx just how good it felt, I turned my head to crush my lips onto hers, evoking a little gasp from her. She momentarily stopped her ministrations to my back, and I took full advantage of that to twist and grab her, settling her on my lap.

Grinning before capturing her lips in my own, I knew what her intentions were as she squirmed against me. I couldn't wait until I let slip that I was someone other than dear old Officer Miller. Feeling her arms brush my sides, they stopped when they met the belt that held the gun she was looking for. Feigning ignorance, I pulled away from her mouth to trail a line of wet kisses to her ear before nibbling on it. Noting that she managed to pull the gun out of the holster, I couldn't help but feel a small amount of pride. She didn't let her arousal cloud her mind completely.

Figuring that this was the perfect time, I moaned her name into her waiting ear, but in _my _voice this time.

I held in my laughter as she became absolutely rigid on top of me.

* * *

"_Christine_." Hearing his voice ground out my name doused me like a bucket of cold water and made me still.

That couldn't possibly be him! No way. He was out…out killing my friend. Wasn't he?

Venturing a look into the eyes of who I thought was Officer Miller, I saw the amusement dancing in Freddy's eyes. How could I have not noticed that the warm azure of Miller's eyes turned into the icy cerulean piercing ones of Freddy?

"Freddy?"

* * *

"Remember it, you'll be screamin' it later!" I teased, licking my lips as my eyebrows wiggled suggestively. Seeing her mouth gape open was priceless and I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts (which I noticed involved me and her in some very compromising positions) before toting the gun in my face.

So the kitty has claws…

"Did you kill Mike?" she spat, anger emaciating from her in waves.

* * *

He answered in a bored tone. "No." I could practically hear the 'not yet' in his voice.

"Don't do it." I added please as an afterthought.

His eyebrow quirked again. "And how do you intend on stopping me? _Darling Christine?_" With his last two words, he rubbed his still evident arousal against me.

I practically jumped out of my skin in my haste to get off of him, and I tried to steady my right hand, considering it was pointing the gun at his face.

_Damn him._

* * *

You waltzed right into my trap, my cute little piggy.

"How about this. I give you one hour. _One hour exactly_. Go and kill someone. Absolutely anyone. If you do, I spare Mikey boy. If not, not only will Mikey be 'off the radar' (I couldn't help but laugh. Get it? Radar? Her dad is a policeman?), but so will your Daddy dearest."

* * *

A life for a life? Actually, a life for two lives. Of the two top most important people in my life.

But this means bloodying my own hands. I can't. I can't do this…

This is a sin…

* * *

Utterly satisfied that my plan was going along perfectly, I waited to see what her answer was going to be. I knew that she wouldn't be selfish enough to not do anything and get both her friend and Dad killed. Oh no, she had a soft heart.

Say it, Christine. Say you will kill for Freddy.

* * *

"And what stops me from blowing your face off right now?" I threatened, remembering that I still held a gun in my hand.

Freddy outright laughed at me. "Christine. Do you honestly think that you are capable of killing _me_?" His eyes challenged me to even dare try.

He was right, though. Who knows if I would kill Officer Miller in the process?

* * *

Christine let her right hand holding the gun drop to her side. She clearly made up her mind.

"Deal?" She stuck the gun into the pocket of her pea coat before holding out her right hand, clearly intending for me to shake it.

"Deal." I answered, a proud grin splayed on my features as I clutched her fingers in my own hand. To tease her a bit further, I brought the hand to my lips in a mock gentlemanlike gesture and kissed it gently.

* * *

Feeling his lips burn into the flesh of my skin, a shiver racked my body.

I just made a deal with the devil.


	12. Choices

_I'm on a roll today! Hope this makes up for the few days of silence (and the days to come, haha). Please review! Oh, and listening to the song that I mention in this chapter as you read is cool. Just sayin'._

Chapter 12: Choices

Fingering the trigger of the gun in my pocket, I walked around seemingly aimlessly with an occasional glance at my watch.

I had but one hour to kill a random person to spare the lives of two people close to me. Briefly, I considered choosing myself, but then who would stop Freddy from killing them once I was dead? Nobody.

I hate to admit it, but a little part of me was slightly excited at the same time. Not many times are you able to say you were forced into doing something terribly wrong and presumably won't be punished by a higher authority. I have no choice in this matter, so I can't possibly be doing something wrong.

Reaching into my left hand pocket, I went to put on my music player, hating the unnerving silence of the neighborhood. Before I was able to press play, I heard a voice call my name.

"Hey Christine, wait up!" Suddenly, a plan clicked into place. No need to use a stranger. I think I'd feel more guilt with them than _him_.

Turning around with a sickly sweet smile, I waved at Jack before sticking in my ear buds. Finally pressing play as he ran to catch up with me, I was flooded with the soothing voice of U2.

Not quite appropriate for what I'm about to do. Going through my playlist, I settled on Jeffree Star's Get Away with Murder.

Just what _I_ was going to do.

Cranking up the volume to an almost uncomfortable range, I wondered if Jack could see a malicious glint in my eyes that I just knew was lurking.

Seeing Jack trying to say something, I pressed my index finger to his lips with a smirk. "Shhhh. Come with me."

_I'm gonna break your heart and get away with murder.  
You shoulda known from the start that it wouldn't last forever.  
I can't control myself - I feel like someone else.  
I'm gonna break your heart and get away with murder…_

Grabbing Jack's hand, I walked towards the more questionable part of town, which in fact wasn't all that far away from the police station. The part my Dad said to stay away for reasons such as the one I had in mind of doing.

Isn't it funny how things can change so suddenly? I'm sure Freddy was beside himself at the moment, laughing at what Little Miss Churchgoer will have to go through to save her loved ones.

Well, he'll know that he shouldn't fuck with her loved ones, because she is willing to do almost anything for them.

Seeing a shady nightclub that was definitely closed at this early hour, I dragged Jack to the empty parking lot behind it.

Jack's eyes were alight with excitement when I finally looked at him. It almost made me sick and not want to continue with what I had to do to make sure he was silent and off his guard.

Clenching my jaw and feeling my resolve build up again, I remembered that he did this to himself. Why should I feel bad when he came on to me first? Payback was definitely a bitch, now.

Pushing Jack roughly onto the brick wall of the establishment, I crushed my lips to his with absolutely no protest coming from him.

Figures.

Nudging his legs open slightly with my own as my tongue flicked at the opening of his mouth, I let the music course through me and nurture my anger into what seemed like desire to Jack.

_Can you feel me breathing down your neck?  
You're just a perfect little human wreck.  
But I like you... enough to destroy you, tear you down._

Rubbing myself against him, I let his last pathetic moments of life be pleasurable before reaching deftly into my pocket to get the hunk of metal that was going to end it.

Making sure he was definitely distracted by my actions, I wondered how to do this without making too much noise. I'm sure the gun would be loud enough to attract some type of attention, after all.

Thinking about the part of the neighborhood I was in…maybe not.

_There's a memory inside my head...  
It feels like a part of me is dead.  
I should save you…but I want to watch you drown...  
There's nothing you can say or do.  
Words mean nothing when your lips are blue.  
I love you... now that you're six feet underground._

Bye, bye Jack. No more conceited jerk who thinks he owns the world just because he was 'blessed with good looks'.

I slowly pulled the safety as he sucked away at my face. Rather badly, I might add. What startled me is that I compared it with the latest kiss I had. With _him_. And even_ that_ was better.

Thinking back, it wasn't bad at all. Too bad he was a crazy demonic maniac with a bloodlust.

"Toodles, Jack." The guy was clearly dazed when I pulled away and definitely didn't expect the bullet that met his forehead a second later by my hand.

The shot rang, but was subdued for me by the music that helped me go through with the kill. Adrenaline surged through me as I watched Jack crumble, the light in his eyes fading away slowly. Satisfied that he was dead, I ran as fast as I could back to the police station.

As I sprinted, I grudgingly acknowledged the freeing feeling that was coursing through me. Was this what _he _felt afterwards, too? If so, I could see –

I stopped my thoughts right there. No way was I going to think more about this. I did what I had to in order to save my loved ones. The fact that I killed Jack was just a mere coincidence.

Although the girls of Springwood are probably better for it.

Reaching the police officer's parking lot, I saw Officer Miller leaning against his car nonchalantly. Well, Freddy at the moment.

Taking the ear buds out of my ear, I walked up to him with a self-assured smile. He looked down expectantly at me.

"I did it."

Freddy broke into a grin. "I knew you could. I knew you had it in ya. So tell me…who'd you off?" He looked genuinely interested in my answer. Should I lie?

"Just a random stranger." When I saw the grimace blossom on his face, I figured that he knew that I was lying.

"Now Christine, I just asked ya a simple question. You didn't have to go and _lie_! Sheesh, I thought that I was just messing around with just one of your precious values. Guess you're breaking more than one barrier today, huh? Care to try one with me?" Freddy positively gloated as a blush overtook my cheeks.

"How'd you guess?" I didn't have anything to say to his assertion and I'm sure that anything I'd say to my defense would be twisted into something sexual.

With a serious tone, Freddy answered, "The first one is never just a random stranger." It didn't take being a rocket scientist to figure out that he was talking about his own first murder.

A shiver travelled down my spine, and I looked up into his eyes. I wouldn't be honest to myself if I said that they weren't fascinating to stare into.

He returned my stare, searching my eyes for something. I wonder what exactly he was searching for.

Breaking the moment, Freddy suddenly took me by the arm and led me back into the station. I understood at once that Dad probably would return soon, and me being out here is not exactly a sight he'd want to see.

Being this close to Freddy again, I acknowledged that if I had half a brain, I would be scared. He had the capacity to kill and already threatened to kill my loved ones, not to mention did kill Alyssa.

The poor dear…

A snide voice in my mind voiced that she wasn't such a poor dear when she consistently used me for her own purposes. Narrowing my eyes, I pushed the voice away. Even though it was true, I wasn't going to let that justify her death. No way did it even _halfway _justify her death.

Okay, so she wasn't perfect. Who among us is?

Freddy kept silent as we passed through the crowded police department, maneuvering our way back to the office.

For a split second, I wondered if he could hear my thoughts.

That would definitely explain why he was quiet, not to mention why he didn't attack me when I was deliberating in the car as when I had nodded off.

Looking inquisitively at the face of Officer Miller, I raised an eyebrow. Can you hear me?

Freddy only smirked as we finally got to my father's office before roughly pushing me into the second seat and plopping himself onto the other one after closing the door with a slam.

Breaking the silence, Freddy turned his seat so that he was completely facing me. "Are you scared of me, Christine?" Leaning forward, he delicately traced a line down my cheek, evoking a sigh from my lips as my eyes fluttered closed. His touch sent tingles down my spine and I wondered if they would be considered fear or labeled something else. With a faint whisper, Freddy added, "You should be." His finger didn't just stop at my cheek; it traveled down my neck and then along with the rest of his fingers, grabbed a loose hold over my neck.

I felt the need to open my eyes just to see what sort of expression was on Freddy's face, ignoring the fact that he could at any moment start squeezing the life out of me. I really couldn't decipher it, but I did see something fiery in his eyes.

More than anything right now, I just wanted to sleep. All the adrenaline had worn off by now, and I just ached for some shut eye.

If I fell asleep now, would he still bother me in my dreams? I mean, he _was _in the real world…

I tried fighting the yawn that urged to come out and lost. Shifting slightly in my seat as Freddy's right hand dropped to drum on the armrest, I noticed that I still had the murder weapon on me. My eyes flew open as I fished it out of my pocket, hurriedly handing it to Freddy without a second thought. It just wouldn't do to get caught with the gun on my person.

The irony wasn't lost on Freddy considering he snickered. "Really now, just handing me the tool to just kill ya right here?" He leveled the gun at me before releasing the safety. A bit of dread formed at the pit of my stomach.

"You wouldn't kill me." I stated in a definitive voice. I hope I sounded surer than I was. I mean, what was there to stop him from squeezing the trigger?

Silence reigned for what seemed like a few minutes, but I really didn't know how long it was in actuality. I was stuck looking at the end of the weapon with a sense of trepidation.

I finally cringed and closed my eyes. Please don't let me die like this…

"You're right." I opened one eye tentatively to see that Freddy had put away the weapon and was leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Not yet." He added, with a look that was unmistakably menacing.

Where the heck was Dad? Shouldn't he back by now? I turned myself slightly to peer out his door window to see that he just entered the building.

Turning back to Freddy, I bit my lip before asking him, "You got what you wanted. You made me a murderer. What else do you want from me?"

A secretive smile was what I received in return. "You'll see. All in good time."


	13. Errands

_I just wanted to thank each and every one of you wonderful people that reviewed my story until this point: Darkness Takes Over, Calluna Rose, StaticExistance, FreddiesGirl, CHRISTY-MICHELLE-X5-494 and AntoinetteDiamond. Your input fuels my artistic fire, so to speak. Haha. _

Chapter 13: Errands

Waltzing out of the police station gleefully, I breathed in the dank air that foretold a powerful dark storm. Closing my eyes to fully inhale one of my favorite scents as I stretched the length of my body to hear some satisfying cracks, I reveled in the simple pleasures of being a fully functional human once more.

Until of course, I remembered that I was in prissy little Officer Miller's body. Snarling at the inconvenience, I was slightly placated by the thought that I would soon be strong enough to play with a whole lot of new children. In my own body. A new set of naughty miscreants that needed to be punished will be within a swipe of my glove.

Just as soon as Christine fulfills her duties for me.

Admittedly, I often indulged in wondering how it would feel to give in to the tingling need to wring her neck, see how my fingertips would beget blue and purple marks on her flesh, observe her eyes bulge out of their sockets…until that magical moment where her body would just give in. Sag. That final spark of humanity just…vanish.

My right hand just itched for my trusted claw right now, aching to slice up the pale skin of her body. Oh, what glorious ecstasy it will be to finally make her one of my own children!

Clenching my fists harshly enough to leave nail marks on the insides of my palms, I willed the urge to march right back into the station and kill her at this very moment subside. All in good time, as I told her. All in good time.

Licking my teeth as I deliberated what I would do now, my mind faintly noted the taste of coffee still left behind by the girl. A faint smirk surfaced as I reached for the handcuffs hanging from my belt, spinning them on my index finger as I headed towards the officer's police car.

How very ironic that the girl would feel some sort of bizarre attraction to me. She didn't acknowledge it to herself yet, but I _knew._ Looking at both her past and present hobbies, I could see how. She had some strange obsessions. Anything from loving the disfigured freak from the Phantom of the Opera to the bipolar Joker.

Unusual girl.

Maybe I should tease her about it during her dreams tonight. I am definitely not letting her get through tonight without some fun. For me, at least. In between killing off the grubby little piglets from her school, naturally.

I wonder if I could get her to kill off any of them…perhaps if I flutter my eyelashes daintily?

Climbing into the police vehicle with a dark chuckle, I took in the view of the interior. Cool and comfortable black leather seats (in the front, at least), a silver laptop with two gray radios on each side that were connected to a complex radio system riddled with many tiny levers and buttons, and a radar on the dashboard. I clipped the handcuffs back onto my belt before looking at the range of buttons found in the car.

Shaking my head at the variety of complex switches, my eyes settled on a big red lever. I could guess what that one did. Smirking as I revved up the vehicle, I knew exactly what I needed to do to speed up the process of people knowing my name.

Backing out of the parking space carelessly, I stepped on the gas after a quick glance confirmed that there were no cars around. Pressing the switch on my car door, I opened the front windows to let in some fresh air.

After a few moments of silent riding, the hush grew boring. Reaching to turn on the radio, I was disappointed to see that it was set to a talk show station.

_Seriously_, Officer Miller? The man in question stirred in the back recesses of his own mind. Shh, keep quiet. I'll give you your body back soon enough. And when I do, you'll regret ever wanting it back.

With an evil grin lodged on my face, I searched for some actual music to listen to. Yuck, boring classical music. Pop music? Not quite my style. Hmm, what's this? Sounds interesting.

I tapped my fingers in rhythm alongside the steering wheel as I blasted the music, waiting to hear what sort of message this song tried to convey.

_I'll kill you in my dreams  
I turn the other cheek during the day  
I'll kill you all_

Oh, now _this _is just rich. I held back my laughter, wanting to continue listening to the song.

_The subculture of my dreams  
is waiting for me to fall asleep  
I know you're scared, you should be  
I know you're scared…_

Was this song just written specifically for me or what? Well, except for that part where I need to fall asleep. It's my victims that need to catch some shut eye for them to be doomed.

_Hero_

Finally letting out sonorous laughter, I wonder what the lyricist meant. Who's the hero? Certainly not me, that's for sure!

Resting my left arm out the window, I found myself close to where I was headed. It was around six in the evening and darkness was beginning to stretch its spindly arms to cover the skies. Deftly maneuvering the police vehicle into the parking lot of the nightclub where Christine left her mess, I poked my head out of the vehicle to find that no one had moved the body at all. There was a slight possibility that it might have been found by the average citizen, but nobody obviously cared enough to report it.

If only things were this way back during my reign of terror…

Putting the automobile into parking, I turned the key to the left to shut it off before opening the door and settling my feet onto the gravel with a slight crunch. Careful not to hit my head on the top of the car as I got out, I took in the pathetic sight of the fool who decided to mess with the wrong person. His matted hair was all that I could see of his head, considering his face was buried in the material of the hoodie on his chest and he was bent over halfway, his body crumpled on the ground and legs sprawled in right angles on each side of him. His jeans had spots of dried blood on them.

Finally reaching his body and ignoring the sickly smell emaciating from him, I grabbed the boy's hair to see the bullet hole that Christine managed to blow square in the middle of his forehead. Nice aim, kiddy. His look of absolute calm and almost pleasure was pretty hilarious, in my opinion.

Letting go of the boy's hair, his head fell back to its former position.

Reaching for the keys that were in my pocket, I walked back to the police vehicle, using the key to open the trunk. What could I use as materials for my little art project?

Finding nothing but a first aid kit, blanket, fire extinguisher, a bucket full of colored chalk and different sort of children's board games and balls (I guess he harbored the same love of children as I do, ha ha!), I settled with taking the colored chalk. Slamming the trunk back down, I walked back to where the dead kid was slumped and fished out the red and green pieces. In childlike handwriting, I wrote 'Freddy's Back!', alternating red and green for each letter.

Stepping back to evaluate my work, I thought it still left the wall a bit bare. Letting the artist within me speak, I picked out the white, brown and black pieces of chalk as well before turning back to the wall.

Starting with a white oval for my head, I took the brown piece to hastily draw my fedora. Choosing the white chalk again, I made an outline for my body, marking the place where I would distinguish where I had pants and where my sweater ended. Cheerily, I put down all of the pieces of chalk but the red and green ones to color in my signature stripes. Smiling at the way it looked so child-like, I drew my hands like sticks, making sure to elongate the fingers on my right before reaching for the red chalk to decorate my blades with some blood. I drew a few drops of blood that escaped from the blades themselves, a steady line downwards.

Afterwards, I grabbed the brown chalk to color in my pants, and saw that there was something missing – my face! Tapping a finger on my chin in deliberation, I decided to choose red again. Reaching for the color, I made my eyes two dots of crimson and an eerie line smile to finish.

Again stepping back to evaluate my hard work, I couldn't help but break a wide grin. It was perfect!

Now, to get rid of Officer Miller over here.

I fished for the gun that was snugly waiting in its holster, setting myself down next to the dead bastard before clicking down the safety.

Suddenly, I remembered that Christine's fingerprints were most likely on the gun. With a slight frown, I pulled out some of the blue shirt from my pants, cleaning it as best I could against the clean and pressed fabric. Sitting up straight, I righted the shirt and went back to the task at hand.

Pointing the gun to my forehead, I felt the panic of the officer in my mind. Tut, tut. Be a good boy, like the guy next to me! This doesn't have to be too painful for you, either. Sorry that I can't make it as..._pleasurable_ a death as the sucker to my left experienced.

Slowly concentrating on drawing myself back into the dream world, I made sure that he would come back into reality asleep. There was no way that I would let him screw this up for me. After a few moments, I was in relative darkness with Officer Miller. He was held down by invisible binds, not able to move an inch from his position. Inching forward in my signature saunter, rejoicing in being in my own body with the familiar weight of my favorite glove in my right hand, I knelt in front of the officer.

"Buh bye, Officer Miller. Thanks for lettin' me use your body for a bit." I tipped the front of my fedora with my gloved hand to him in a mock sign of formality before using my left to pull the trigger both in the dream world and consequently the real world. It didn't take long for him to dissolve into nothingness, leaving me in absolute darkness. I took in the eerie silence for a short while before making my surroundings dissolve into the familiar territory of my makeshift terrain, the boiler room.

Among the familiar hum and grunts of the aged machines, my gravelly voice sweetly chimed in, "Okay little piggies! Come out, come out, wherever you are! Freddy's waiiiiiting…"


	14. Acknowledgement

Chapter 14: Acknowledgement

Tiredly fumbling through Dad's keys to find our side door house key as Dad let out a yawn next to me, I wondered if I dared to just plop into bed, screwing all consequences of that action. I'm damn tired and I could use the rest. I had a bit of a rough day.

Hey Dad, guess how my day was? I got through another day of high school, almost got killed by Freddy (a few times), learned that Freddy killed my best friend, and then killed at Freddy's request to save your life along with Mike's.

Yep, he'd rightfully send me to a mental institution. I'm sure I'd fit right in. Or perhaps he'd lock me up and throw away the key?

Finally finding the correct key, I had to keep back from letting hysterical giggles erupt from deep within me. Sergeant Dawson's daughter just shot her pervy school buddy dead in the parking lot of a whorehouse at the request of some psychopath who happened to be lurking in her dreams and more recently, parading around as Officer Miller.

What the heck is wrong with me? Perhaps all the stress of high school is causing me to go loopy. Unfortunately for me, I knew that I couldn't just write Freddy off as the product of my over imaginative mind. I had the scars to prove he was real, and a dead best friend to boot.

Opening the door to find Mom bustling about in a hurry, I knew she was getting ready for work. Her eyes settled on Dad and me before visibly relaxing and rushing up to me.

"Oh, honey. You're back." Mom crushed my body in a tender hug. Sheesh Mom, how long was I gone? A few years or a few hours? A grin surfaced on my face as I patted her back.

When she finally let go and fussed over my coat, I responded with, "Yes I am. So is Dad." Looking up at Dad, I saw that he was covering another yawn with the palm of his hand.

"You both had a rough day. You should get some sleep. Are you hungry?" I shook my head no; I don't think I had the capacity to after what I went through today.

"Alright then. I'd better get going if I don't want to be late for work. I have to come in at seven and I'll be there until seven in the morning. Long night ahead of me. I'll see you tomorrow!" Mom kissed me on the forehead, and then went to Dad to kiss him on the lips. I averted my eyes, avoiding the urge to say 'yuck'.

How could I pretend to be normal when I just _killed somebody?_ I murdered Jack. I shot him. I'm going to get caught, I just know it…

"Christine? You there?" Bringing me back to reality, Mom stood there with a worried expression on her face.

"Yeah, you needed something?" What did she say that I missed?

"Nothing, just sleep tight. If you need anything, just call." Mom looked reluctant to leave. I gestured for her to go with a half-hearted smile.

"Okay Mom. Love you." I finally started to leave the kitchen, drudging up the stairs after hanging my coat up in the hallway and kicking off my sneakers. Every step seemed to take too much effort and I longed for the comfort of my bed. I don't think I have the capacity to take a shower right now.

Finally reaching the door to my bedroom, I just took off the jeans and socks I was wearing before crashing onto my bed with a sigh.

Oh, just in case, I'd better put on the alarm. I don't want to miss church in the morning. With a grimace, I wriggled my way onto the edge of the bed to set it to five in the morning to make sure that I'd have enough time to wash and look presentable.

Slipping my feet underneath my messy covers and curling myself into a fetus-like position, I grabbed the pillow that I wasn't using and cuddled it to myself before slipping into slumber.

* * *

"Do ya like Subway?"

"W-what? Why?" The girl looked positively frightened. I couldn't stop myself from inching closer, taking in the way her body quivered and shook underneath me as her chest heaved, aching for a sizeable amount of oxygen. She gave me a good chase, I'll admit that.

" 'cuz I got a footlong for you!" The girl cringed in disgust as I laughed vociferously at my own bad joke.

"Get your mind outta the gutter! I meant these!" I held up my gloved hand excitedly, waving the blades in the air.

Realization dawned on her face as she tried crawling backwards like a crab, clearly intending to bolt away.

Christine didn't hold back her laughter. Spinning my head around to see her dressed in the clothes she was in during the day, there she stood, arms crossed in front of her with plain amusement written on her face.

I looked back to the girl I was just about to stab with my claw, then to Christine. Then back to her. Then back to Christine. Agh…decisions, decisions!

Lucky for me, I can have them both.

Huffing in an undignified manner as the girl pleaded for Christine to save her, I jokingly asked Christine, "Do ya mind? I'm a bit busy right now!" before plunging the blades fully into the screaming girl's chest. The ear-piercing shriek was temporarily dulled by the blood that cascaded in an arc out her mouth. Burning the lovely view into my memory, I looked back to decipher what Christine's reaction would be.

Revulsion, guilt, horror. Even a bit of…_admiration?_

Wait. Hold on a minute. _What?_

I had to figure out what the hell was going on. Eagerly finishing the bitch off by slashing a multitude of marks down her bare arms and leaving time to finish the rest as bubbles of blood frothed out of the slut's mouth, I quickly got up to see that Christine hadn't moved from her position. She was bathed in the red light that the fiery furnaces gave off.

Slowly walking up to her in a predatory way, I caught her eye and flicked my tongue out to gather a bit of blood from the tip of my index blade. Closing my eyes to revel in the coppery taste for a moment, I opened them again to find her intently watching. Finally finding myself an arm's length away, I started to slowly circle her. I had a few questions just needed to be answered.

"So, you've dropped by to visit ol' Freddy?" I opened my arms in a mock welcoming gesture. No answer from her? Okay, then I'll continue. "Well, before I start the fun, I've got uh – a few questions for ya."

Christine continued to stand there, nonplussed as I paced around her, the mouse that was just waiting for the cat to lash out and strike.

"Let's just forego the pleasantries, shall we?" As I finished my sentence, I stepped closer to her, murmuring the last bit into her hair, evoking a visible shiver. A satisfied grin appeared on my face before I forced it to disappear and continued pacing to complete the circle by going back in front of her as I spoke.

"Now. A few moments ago. I saw your horrified reaction. Gross, huh?" I pointed to the girl who was definitely at her few last shallow breaths with the blade on my index finger. Christine grimaced, I smiled. "I take that as a yes, then."

Finding myself in front of Christine, I grabbed her chin with my gloved hand, suddenly wrenching her face close to me so that she was less than an inch away from mine. A look of terror settled on her features as her eyes shifted away from my face and to the searing surroundings around us.

Shaking her head so that she would get the hint and not look away, I continued when her eyes focused back on me. "Answer me honestly. You know I can tell whether you're lying to me or not." I paused for emphasis, staring intently into her eyes, knowing it would put her at unease. "What else did you feel as I plunged my blades into the little piggy's stomach?"

My eyes were drawn to her throat as she gulped. I could definitely interpret that she clearly did not want to admit why she felt as she did even to herself, nevertheless me. C'mon dearie, we shouldn't let this take all night! I have so much more in store for you.

I narrowed my eyes until she finally opened her mouth to respond to my question. "I was horrified, amused and uhm." Her gaze averted from my face again. "Impressed."

I quelled the urge to laugh at the strange turn of events, wishing her to elaborate. Clearing my throat, I let the grasp that I held on her face subside before letting my fingers travel down to her throat very gently. "Oh, and why is that?"

Christine closed her eyes as she internally battled with herself. Not wanting to needlessly drain my powers by listening in on her thoughts, I waited a moment before pressing the blades on my glove a bit more deeply on her neck, yet still not enough to draw blood.

Licking her lips but keeping her eyes closed, she continued. "You're so free. You have no restraints. No rules. Nothing ever holding you back." She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts together. "You punish anyone you wish to. You aren't afraid of anything or anyone."

My hold on her throat slackened a bit as I listened intently to her words, which were increasingly getting quieter. "I was impressed because you are smarter than you pretend to be, witty to those who can appreciate your humor and you certainly know how to maim and torture. I've never even heard about anyone like you." Christine finally opened her eyes, drawing up some courage to meet my own inquisitive stare.

"Like it or not, you've made me feel. After months of just doing the same routine and going through the motions of life…you made me feel something. Jolted me back into existence. You've changed me, though I truly wonder if it is for the better."

* * *

"Christine?" …Dad? Huh?

"Mmmmmf. Ugh. What do you want?" It was hard not to let my irritation seep through. Just a second ago I was spilling my innermost thoughts to Freddy after finally admitting the thoughts to myself, and I wasn't even given an opportunity to hear his response to it because _Dad shook me awake_?

"Just checking up on you. You think you're up to going to church tomorrow?" _This _is what he woke me up for?

My hands balling into fists, I forced the anger to slip from my voice when I answered. "I'll go. The priest might freak if I don't show."

"Alright. I guess you're going to sleep. You really do need it. I won't bother you anymore tonight. Night, honey."

"Mhm. Love you." Stuffing my face into the pillow as Dad quietly closed my door, I fought the urge to yell.

Can't I get some peaceful shut eye around here between inquisitive fathers and crazy murderers? Of which I was one, my mind gently reminded me.

Angrily, I turned over and with a glower worked on going back to sleep.

* * *

Materializing in the interior of my kitchen in the downtrodden house of the dream realm, I called for my three little girls in a somewhat distracted tone.

It wasn't long before I heard three sets of little footsteps bounding down the creaky staircase. Leaving the kitchen to meet them, I arrived just in time to see the girl with scarlet plaited hair shriek because her foot went through one of the steps, dirtying her milky white stocking. The other two girls stopped to tug her foot out of the gaping hole before the three hurriedly rushed to stand before me.

I settled myself on my haunches to be at their level and to make sure I was understood, motioned the three to get closer with the blade on my glove. They nervously inched forward, playing with the fringes on their pure white gowns. With a dramatic roll of my eyes, I waved my hand over the red haired girl's stockings, reverting it back to its former glory before looking to address the trio.

"Listen you three. I want you to be on your guard. Today will be a busy night. I gave you had a few nights to play, but now Freddy needs your help. Are you listening?"

Three little heads bobbed affirmatively.

"Okay. Christine should be popping in soon. Make sure you give her a proper…welcoming. She hasn't yet been introduced to you. Play with her as you like. I'll be taking over at some point. Then I will play with her for a little while. Understood?"

Again, three doll-like girls nodded yes.

"Afterwards, people may be popping in. I give you free reign –" Wait, do they even know what that means? Probably not. "I give you my permission to play with them as you like. See you later, kiddies!" I waved my claw at them before popping away.

* * *

I looked at Sandy and Diana with a frown as I wrapped my finger around my ponytail, winding the strands of thick hair around and around. "I hate this job, guys."

"Tell me about it, Alicia." Diana sighed as she looked down at her legs for any sign of damage. "Why can't he just let us play? Or better yet, let us go?"

Sandy continued playing with the hem of her dress as she spoke. "Do you think he'll ever let us go?"

Somehow, I had the feeling that we were stuck in a never-ending game where we were the little pieces that couldn't just be forgotten under the rug. It's better to keep hoping though, so I answered brightly, "Of course he will. Once we prove to him that we can follow all of his instructions like good little girls, he'll let us go."

If that day _did _come, where would that leave us?


	15. Games

_I stumbled on a music video that I DIED watching! Go watch My Chick Bad by Ludacris ft. Nicki Minaj. You'll see why around two and a half minutes in. Hehe…Anyways, Happy Easter! Here's a long-ish post to celebrate. Enjoy and please review!_

Chapter 15: Games

Opening up my eyes and finding myself in the dream world once more, I took in the decrepit sight before me. It was a seemingly neglected dirty white and green house with bars lodged in front of the windows. Narrowing my eyes to make out the address, I saw the numbers 1428 next to the faded red door.

Well, okay. Here I am on an abandoned street in front of a dilapidated house. Now what?

As if invoked by my question, a cute blond little girl traipsed out of the house, singing something that I couldn't quite hear from where I was.

What on earth was she doing here? A fleeting fear that Freddy might get to her and tear her to pieces caused me to run up to the poor dear, dressed in a fluffy white lacey dress.

As I approached her, I heard her singing as she calmly skipped down the sidewalk as if she were playing hopscotch, her two ponytails bouncing as she pranced. "Three, four, better lock your door. Five, six, grab your crucifix."

She was singing the words that I typed when I was in my dream. Right before Freddy came!

Interrupting her singing, I shouted, "Little girl! How do you know that song?" She looked mildly irritated at having been interrupted, but didn't seek to answer my question. With a secretive smile, she continued singing.

"Seven, eight, better stay up late. Nine, ten, never sleep again!" When she finally finished the little song and stopped skipping, I decided to go up to the child, kneeling on one knee in front of her.

Seeing one of her crimson ribbons about to be undone completely, I kindly offered to redo it for her. She hesitated for a moment before nodding her approval.

As I retied the beautiful silk ribbon back on her golden hair, I asked her, "What is your name? I think it's rather rude for me to call you little girl." I let a little playfulness seep into my voice, hoping that I could get her to trust me and hopefully keep her from Freddy's grasp.

A shy little voice answered, "Sandy." She looked down to the dress that covered her small frame up to her knees. Sandy couldn't have been more than five years old, the cute little dear. Nervously playing with the hem of her dress for a few moments, she bit her lip in worry before her eyes travelled up to my own, asking in a sweet voice, "Would you play with me?"

Opening my mouth to answer in the affirmative, she hurried away to the house which strangely enough, opened its door automatically for her.

"Uhm, I wouldn't go in there if I were you, Sandy!" I called after her retreating form. I sighed in resignation, following the girl into the aged house. What else was there to do?

As soon as I was entirely inside the house, the door slammed behind me. In a moment of panic, I turned back to reach for the doorknob, only to realize that it was locked.

Great, now I was stuck in this haunted house. Where did that slippery little girl go off to?

"Sandy! Where are you?" I hesitantly called out, taking in my surroundings. It certainly looked as if no one had inhabited the house for years upon years.

A set of stairs that looked like they were set to crumble at any moment were located on the right side, next to the faded wall. If you brushed at the dust a little bit, you would be able to see the faint prints of little pink flowers that the wallpaper consisted of. An old wooden clock was crookedly hanging on the old wall, its exterior metal pendulum rigidly stuck at a forty-five degree angle. Looking to my left, the wallpaper was almost entirely ripped from the walls, still flapping loosely from the gust of the front door that shut abruptly a moment ago.

Stepping forward warily, I turned my head to the left to find a simply furnished living room: a plain dark yellow chair with stuffing partially ripped out of it, a beat up table with a lamp I was sure didn't work, and a few chairs strewn about. The three windows that were side by side had what once were white curtains, but were now dirty and tattered.

Venturing further in the room, I found Sandy sitting at the kitchen table located in the room next to this one, along with two other little girls. So _that's_ where she went. The three little girls were daintily sipping on cups of tea, presumably playing Tea Party.

Sandy turned around in her chair to beckon me to a fourth empty chair that had a delicate china cup settled on an exquisite little milky white saucer, already set up for me. I pointed to myself, mouthing "Me?" to which she nodded.

I made my way to the table slowly, still not liking the eerie feel of the house, and wondering why three little girls would be having a tea party amidst the wreckage that was this home. This couldn't be their home, could it?

"Drink some tea!" exclaimed the red-haired little girl, setting down her comparatively miniscule cup. Her two long braids that were tied at the end with white ribbons bounced as she emphatically urged me to drink my tea.

Not wanting to offend the small girls, I brought the cup to my lips very slowly, taking a small sip. I forced back the sensation to spit the liquid out right then and there and abruptly got out of my seat to spit the blood out about a foot away. Wiping the crimson drops that were still on my lips off with my hand, I stormed back to the table.

Expecting peals of laughter when I returned, I was shocked to see that the girls looked at me with a frown, as if disappointed. Sandy asked, "You don't like our tea?" before sipping her cup once more, and I'm sure she deliberately made a line of blood travel slowly down her chin before taking the pure white handkerchief that was laid down on her lap and wiping it away prissily.

These were not normal girls.

The raven haired child then spoke in an inquisitive yet meek tone. "But I thought you were one of us?" A tiny pudgy little finger pointed to me and I looked down at myself, wondering what she was pointing at.

Looking at my outfit, I could see why. I was clothed in a dress that almost mirrored theirs: a pure white cotton dress that went up to right above my knees, white sandals, but rather than tights or ankle socks, I had on knee high white socks with a little red bow on the top outlined in a green border. That was definitely Freddy's touch. He couldn't possibly be one of the girls, could he? Well, considering the stunts he could pull, I wouldn't put it past him.

Looking from one face to the next, I felt the brush of my hair tickle my cheek. Wait, I didn't put it up. Bringing my hands up to my head, I noticed that they were put in pigtails.

Rolling my eyes as I let my hands audibly drop to my sides, I wondered how utterly ridiculous I looked. I'm sure Daddy would be thrilled to see little Christine dressed like this again.

Looking back at the girls, I almost had a heart attack at the sight. Their pure white dresses were torn and bloody from marks clearly given by Freddy's claw, their hair was disheveled and sticking out at different angles, and all three had bloody trails of tears. Three little heads were staring back at me, the flesh of their skin slowly decaying before me. How utterly grotesque! I shut my eyes, not daring to look down at myself to see if I got the same treatment, immediately feeling sick at the thought.

I was startled into opening my eyes again when I heard cracks, finding that it came from the girls themselves. They were frozen like porcelain statuettes, and little cracks were developing in their still marble frames as piece by piece, parts of each of them fell to the floor. All I could do was stare at the horrific marvel in front of me, afraid to do anything.

My glazed stare fixated on one of the pieces containing one of the girl's eyes staring relentlessly in its mineral form. A shudder racked my body and I forced myself to look away as all the jagged pieces suddenly turned into dust, disguising themselves in the dust clouds that have been years in the making.

Not exactly knowing how to react to all of this, I decided to venture back out of the kitchen and into the main hallway. Hesitantly moving forward and hearing lots of creaky sounds made by my own feet, I kept startling myself by imagining that one of the creaks would be someone or something sneaking up on me, and I consistently looked over my shoulder to prove myself wrong time and time again.

Seeing a door that was located on the side of the staircase partly open, curiosity peaked within me. I tried to remember if it was open when I first went inside the downtrodden abode, but I couldn't quite remember. The fine hairs of my nape stood up in anticipation, and I wondered what was in store for me.

Pushing the door further open, I saw stairs leading down to a basement that had a small red light going, presumably from a fire. Narrowing my eyes in order to try and decipher what sort of features were in my immediate vicinity, I thought I saw from the corner of my eye a shadow flicker in the light. My heart lurched nastily within my chest as I froze in place.

Okay, Christine. Time for a pep talk, I thought, before I completely freak myself out. If it's a fire that is giving light to this basement, then it is bound to flicker. Which it must be. Stop scaring the crap out of yourself.

Willing my heart rate to decrease, I confidently took a step forward. To my chagrin, there was what I imagined a small little skate on that step, causing me to slip and fall down the rest of the steps for what I thought was way too long for just that one staircase. Just when I thought that I was done falling, I continued falling into darkness, finally crashing into something soft, juxtaposing the bruising I knew would blossom all over my body.

I guess I blacked out or something to that extent, considering I felt like I was roused out of my slumber while still in the dream. Before opening my eyes, I found myself resting in a slightly uncomfortable position; my head and shoulders were aching to return to their straight position, rather than the curled one they were in. I acquiesced, sitting up slightly in what I presumed was a bed.

My eyes fluttered open as I noticed yet another wardrobe change on my person. I was still dressed in immaculate white, but this time I immediately noted that I was wearing Christine's costume from The Phantom of the Opera. It was the one she wore when expecting to go with her childhood friend and crush Raoul to dinner. It was also the one in which she was seduced by the Phantom and his angelic voice. A grin surfaced on my features. If the Phantom was Gerard Butler, I'd let him kidnap and seduce me any day!

Standing up to take a better look at my outfit and surroundings, I noticed that everything around me was an exact replica of the 2004 version of Phantom. I was impressed with the attention to detail this dream had – the turbaned monkey clanging a set of cymbals was located next to my swan bed, a candelabra of candles hung just ahead and to the left of the bed, and though I noticed that though the blanket that I was laying on was a dark crimson, the laced curtains were a dark forest green, differentiating from the movie in that aspect.

There goes the tell-tale sign that Freddy had some sort of influence in this.

Faintly hearing the music of an organ, I presumed the maddening man himself was here as well. I inched forward in the dank cave like structure, my feet not exactly enjoying the coldness that seeped from the ground with no shoes to cover it up. Looking down, I noticed I was wearing very long stockings, a corseted dress that had a dangerously high slit up to my right hip almost, and sparkly loose sleeves that came to about my elbow. I honestly loved Christine's costume, and was tempted to give in to the urge to twirl around in the dress.

Act your age, Christine…

Peeking my head out from the 'room' I was in, I saw a masked figure hunched at an expansive organ, surrounded by a host of candelabras, furiously scribbling away at what I presumed was a blank sheet music. Not wanting to disturb whatever he was doing, I quietly approached the set of chiseled stone stairs that led to the higher ground where I guessed Freddy was occupied, careful not to trip and risk falling into the lake that was nearby.

As I approached, I noticed that his mask was not the signature vertical half mask, but a horizontal one. Yes, this was definitely Freddy. He still wore the ruffled white shirt and the handsome tailored suit that the Phantom wore, however. My mind piped that needless to say, the small expanse of chest that he bared was very nice, indeed. I was inclined to agree.

As I reached the last step, Freddy looked over at me, a smirk overtaking what I could see of his features slowly.

"Christine." The way he said my name as a whisper, almost a song or a prayer, caused me to echo his voice in my mind. _Christine. _There was no gruffness or hatefulness in that tone, and it sincerely surprised me. It also made me slightly suspicious.

Freddy sat unmoving, still on the organ chair with his eyes fixated on me, clearly intending for me to get closer. I wasn't exactly sure if that was a good idea, but I really had no other option at this point. Taking my time, I stood in front of the masked Freddy, not knowing what to expect.

After a period of just waiting, I heard the movement of water and forcefully broke eye contact to see what caused the disturbance in the lake. I was stunned beyond words when I distinguished the form of Mike wade waist deep in water, dressed in trousers and a shirt similar to Freddy's, barred by the metal prison-like gate to come any closer. Gripping the metal, Mike cried out after recognizing me, "Christine!"

My mouth went completely dry. I couldn't even decently respond to Mike, rooted to the spot I was in.

Freddy was gouging my reaction, his smirk turning into a full out evil smile as his glittering eyes acknowledged the fear and astonishment that was plainly written on my face. Swiftly standing up and startling me out of my position, thus making me stumble a step back, Freddy said in a sing-song voice, "My dear, it seems as if we have a guest!"

"Open the gate, Christine!" Mike called out, fruitlessly trying to rattle the iron-looking gate to get me to snap out of my stupor to somehow find a lever or switch to open it. He clearly intended to be the 'knight in shining armor' who came just in time to save the day.

Freddy already started walking towards what I presumed was the switch, pulling a large lever. "Oh, no need for the lady to do it. I'll do it for you, Monsieur!" Freddy seemed to very badly attempt doing a French accent, probably for his own comedic purposes.

Finally snapping out of my daze, I angrily yelled at Mike, "Don't you dare get any closer! I don't need saving! Get out of here as fast as you can!" My words fell on deaf ears, I knew. The boy was about as stubborn as I was, but I couldn't help trying anyway.

When the gate finally got to a point where Mike could slip underneath it, Freddy flipped the switch back down, starting the gate's descent downwards. Mike hurriedly moved to cross the threshold, moving into Freddy's territory.

I just knew Freddy would try something sinister with Mike, and figuring that he was keeping in slight character with the Phantom, that meant –

"Mike, keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" I screamed at him, but the slow boy didn't understand my request until it was too late and Freddy had appeared in front of him, quickly wrapping a noose around his neck.

My hands buried in my thick curly hair, tugging at it. "Freddy! Stop! Please!" I begged, sinking to my knees on the harsh stone bank of the lake, wanting to dissolve into tears and feeling the familiar constriction in the back of my throat. "You bastard, you killed one of my two best friends, and now you're trying to kill the only one I have left?"

Freddy studied my face before looking back at Mike who was struggling against the noose around his neck. Freddy was now trying to tie the noose to a long line that looped through one of the square holes of the gate and held on to that instead of the noose itself. He couldn't stop the grin that spread when he tugged on the long line and it constricted the hold on Mike's throat, evoking a choke from him. I screamed, thinking that Freddy pulled it hard enough to snap his neck. Freddy's laughter echoed due to the cavernous walls, making it seem all the more menacing.

Deciding to do more than shout from the sidelines, I got up to step into the chilly water, wading through it as it steadily got deeper and deeper, flaring my white garment in back of me like a wedding gown train. Freddy's grin never wavered as he followed my movements, but Mike tried to dissuade me from getting any closer. "This is just a dream, but I'd rather die in this dream than have you killed by this masked freak!"

Flinching at hearing Mike use the term freak, I shook my head sadly, answered him, "No. This is, but this also isn't a dream. Remember what my father told you? The murderer? Well, he preys on people in their dreams." Mike looked at me as if I was crazy. Perhaps I was.

Freddy looked at Mike, conversationally adding, "See, I'm Freddy. Not so pleased to meet you, _asshole._" He tugged harshly on the line of the noose again, causing Mike to struggle to breathe once more, and Freddy continued to laugh darkly at poor Mike's struggles.

I couldn't bear to look at the sight. "Stop! Please, Freddy. I'll do anything." Tears threatened to spill down my cheeks as I pleaded with the monster who held the life of one of the only few people I cared about in his murderous hands.

"Anything?" He questioned, quirking his eyebrow. Unwillingly, I nodded my head. "Okay then, you asked for it." I could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he darkly chortled.

"_Marry me_." His voice caressed the two words sensuously yet dangerously. A promise and a death threat all in one. "Join me. Aid me in my quest to rid the world of irksome brats, or Mark here dies!"

How dare he do this to me! Either way I lose! Either I was to marry a demon found in dreams (how was that possible?), or I was to let my last remaining friend die? "Let him go!" I emphatically growled as I stepped closer, a mere arms length away from him, almost snarling the words.

Amusement danced in his cobalt eyes. "Say the magic word."

Sucking in a breath and taking a moment, I steadied my nerves before singing Christine's own response to the Phantom's final choice. "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known?" I gently removed Freddy's half mask, tossing it into the pool of water before continuing. "God give me courage to show you, you are not alone!" Wading the last few inches, I gathered all the courage I could muster, lightly tracing a few tender burns found on the flesh of his face with my fingertips, and wrapped my arms around Freddy's neck to pull his head to where I could press my lips against his.

Freddy responded more enthusiastically then I thought he would, and I knew it was due to having Mike watching the display. I faintly heard Mike's cry of disgust and rage as Freddy's tongue teased the chasm of my lips roughly before it ravaged my mouth. Tears finally streamed out of my eyes as I realized what I had agreed to.

Pulling away from my mouth with an audible pop, Freddy looked just as pleased as a kid who just entered a candy store with their parent's credit card. Sighing in resignation as I accepted my appointed fate, I looked towards Mike to find that he looked rather lifeless. My eyes grew as wide as saucers. Please don't tell me -

"Oops, my hand slipped. You got me excited!" Freddy stated rather blandly.

* * *

The anguished scream that arose from her lips was quite otherworldly, and I absorbed it like it was as beautiful as the singing voice that just a moment ago was directed towards me. And it _was _beautiful.

If looks could kill, I would certainly be butchered by Christine at this moment. At that implausibility, I couldn't help but laugh eccentrically out loud, silently thanking and praising the Dream Demons for good measure. This only served to infuriate Christine even further. She lunged at me with a shriek, throwing in a few good hard punches before I pushed her into a different portion of the dream world as I transported myself back into my boiler room.

Changing my outfit to my usual duds and brushing myself off, I went to address the prick of consciousness that announced another arrival in my dream world with a rather satisfied aura about me.


	16. Entertainment

_Shame on the author for having had a lack of muse. And time. _

Chapter 16: Entertainment

Sneaking quietly on the high catwalk, my heavy working boots posed a bit of a challenge to keep my movements noiseless. Wouldn't want the piggies to notice me before I chose to scare the daylights out of them. Or should I say, the_ life_ out of them?

Allowing a little laughter to break the not so silence of the boiler room, I heard a distinctly masculine voice call out. "Hey! Anyone there?"

My new victim was a bastard child named Sean. He was one of those kids who didn't know when to shut the fuck up from what I could see in his memories. Always picking on those that were less fortunate then he was, thinking he was immune because he was the class clown. I also saw that he called Christine a freak quite recently.

So, I had _just _thelittle plan to do that very thing.

Shut his mouth for eternity.

My eyes roved over the maze of boilers, searching for the boy who was no doubt cowering despite his mouthy attitude. They all do.

Inching a bit forward but not caring to mask the sound of my shoe against the metal underneath me, I was met with his voice again. "I hear you!" He paused before continuing in a voice that wasn't quite sure of itself. "Show yourself!"

Show myself? Well, if you _insist_…

Finally finding the brat peeking his head out from behind a rusty old tin machine that was making a strange whirring sound, I jumped down to the ground level, landing neatly on my feet with a satisfied smirk.

"Peek-a-boo!" I cried gleefully, seeing his petrified face. Once he registered that I spoke, he was rooted to the spot out of pure fear. So he was one of those, hmm? Not even going to give me a good chase?

Predatorily inching forward as the kid clutched the rusty metal in front of him with a death grip, I couldn't stop an evil laugh from escaping my lips. I'm pret-ty sure it made his skin crawl.

"Briiiian!" I cooed, as if to a baby. He certainly acted like one, and most definitely had the mentality of one.

Still that stupid blank look on his face? Okay, no more Mr. Nice Killer.

Showing him the blades on my glove and markedly marveling at the way they reflected the crimson tint of the light that permeated throughout the dank room, I snarled at the insipid boy. He seemed to get the point and started to sprint away back into the labyrinth that would seal his doom.

I could hear his ragged breath as he struggled to run away from me, the heartbeat thudding unevenly in his chest music to my ears.

Purposely making noise as I stalked forward, I let out a delighted laugh as metal met metal; the claws made my signature skin-crawling noise as they coerced a shower of colorful sparks from the friction.

The boy, in his fear induced clouded state of mind, cornered himself. When it dawned upon him, his nearly six foot tall frame cowered before me, whimpering. What a pathetic piece of shit.

I drew my gloved hand to my ear, mirth sparkling in my eyes. "What? I can't hear what you're saying."

The asshole shakily opened his mouth to respond to my question, but nothing came out of his mouth. Perfect! As planned. The perfect irony…making someone who wouldn't ever shut his mouth mute.

The boy's eyes bulged nearly out of his sockets and his face became redder as he tried with all his might to make some sort of noise come out of his mouth. It was to no avail, however!

"What? I can't hear you." I taunted as I moved closer, enjoying the idiot's fear and disbelief at his current predicament. He was clawing at his throat as he was pressing against the wall, wishing for it to envelop him completely and for him to wake up. Oh no, Sean. There's no waking up tonight. Your soul is as good as mine now.

Bending down to go on one knee, I grabbed him by his neck, squeezing it before I let the wall take hold of his arms. Don't wriggle too much, little worm.

Bringing my face close to his, I let the boy take in my scarred visage as I leered at his brown eyes, and travelled to take in his deeply dark skin before looking back up into his eyes, knowing it discomforted him. "You want me to leave you alone? Just give the word and I'll leave you alone." I couldn't stop the evil smile from spreading across my face.

The boy tried with all his might to struggle against his binds, screaming with no voice as my claw slowly sliced into his flesh when I started to choke him.

Grimacing as I took in the pathetic sight before me, a jolt of pleasure coursed through my body as I saw the rivulets of blood travel down the idiot's throat, staining his navy t-shirt an even darker color than it was.

That should teach you to call others _freaks_.

Gritting my teeth, I sawed away at the tender flesh of his neck as tears of pain coursed down his cheeks. Anger building inside of me, I picked up the pace as he sputtered blood out onto his jeans, narrowly missing my clothes. I glared at the boy.

"Can you mind your manners, _freak_?" I put emphasis on the last word, wondering if he might make the connection to Christine. Nope, he was as stupid as I surmised. He just foolishly gaped like a fish while making guttural noises.

With a flourish, I made a dramatic show of finishing him off by ripping his throat apart with my claws. As he gurgled, I grimaced and narrowed my eyes at the mess that was once Sean. Waiting until his last exhausted breath, I braced myself and dug my shoes into the cement of the boiler room as his soul penetrated through my being, taking its rightful place among my other children.

* * *

I sat in the darkness, a light fog permeating the air, dancing around my frame as I stared listlessly into the abyss.

I lost my best friends.

Freddy killed them.

He killed Alyssa. And Mike.

_He killed them_.

That no good son-of-a bitch. I can't believe I pitied him. He clearly has no heart. No compassion.

And to think, I almost considered him normal. Perhaps just a bit misguided. I was sure he killed for a reason.

Now I'm not so sure.

I moved my hands that were resting on each side of me back into my lap, causing the fog to be disturbed. My mind got distracted, following the wisp of cloud as it trailed upwards.

And to think I almost like–

_Stop it right there, Christine._

My thoughts were jolted when as if suddenly placed in a movie, a scene just revved up in front of my mindless gaze. I had to shield my eyes from the comparative brightness of what I figured was one of the many rooms in a penthouse. Passively taking in my surroundings, I took in a clearly expensive party scene. There were a few high tables to rest drinks upon, a few sparse but clearly comfortable chairs here and there. The people in the room just exuded snobbery. I crinkled my nose at them, before looking down at myself to find that I was dressed in a costly dark jade dress, a heavy ruby ring on my finger.

Light music permeated the air as the majority of people sipped away at their cocktails, some dancing with not a care in the world.

All the right friends in all the wrong places  
So yeah, we're going down  
They got all the right moves in all the right faces  
So yeah, we're going down

Getting up from the regal crimson chair I was resting on, my eyes roved over the sights in front of me. The well-to-do balding gentleman with his white haired lady who were talking about their business ventures to their friends. A bachelor nearby, clearly, because two ladies were hanging from his arms and on every word that came from his mouth. A flirtatious lady that was hanging on a politician's arm. Most likely a high-class prostitute.

Just paint the picture of a perfect place  
They got it better than what anyone's told you  
They'll be the King of Hearts, and you're the Queen of Spades  
Then we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers

What immediately drew my attention afterwards was the glass wall that showed a breathtaking view of a city enclosed in darkness, permeated by the artificial lights of traffic and buildings. I marveled at the beauty, inexplicably drawn to it. My feet moved of their own accord, bringing me to the gold-plated railing, and I faintly registered the cling of my ring against the metal as I held onto it, staring outside.

I know we've got it good  
But they got it made  
And the grass is getting greener each day  
I know things are looking up  
But soon they'll take us down,  
before anybody's knowing our name.

For a moment, there was nothing but the splendor of architecture, the blackness of night.

Do you think I'm special?  
Do you think I'm nice?  
Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?  
Between the noise you hear  
And the sound you like  
Are we just sinking in an ocean of faces?

When I got lightly tapped on the shoulder, I spun around to see an elderly butler hold a tray of filled glasses.

"Champagne, mademoiselle?" I nodded in gratitude as I grabbed a thin flute, sipping away at the strong drink.

It can be possible that rain can fall,  
Only when it's over our heads  
The sun is shining every day, but it's far away  
Over the world is death.

_Death. _The word echoed in my mind. Bringing a hand to my face, I dug half-moons into my flesh as I tried not to think about it. Perhaps drinking was not the best idea.

It don't matter what you see.  
I know I could never be  
Someone that'll look like you.  
It don't matter what you say,  
I know I could never face  
someone that could sound like you.

I was worried that someone might hear the flute as it fell from my hand and shattered, but that proved to be unnecessary – a gunshot covered it up.

"Good evening, ladies and gentle-men! We are…tonight's entertainment!" That was a voice that I could recognize anywhere. A feeling of anxiety and dread pooled in the bottom of my stomach, along with the fluttering of butterflies.

Could it be?

"I only have one question," the voice continued, to the gasps of a few in the crowd as he neared towards them. "Where is _Christine Dawson_?"

Somewhere in the room, a plate fell, echoing in the reigning silence. I became deathly cold in apprehension, and I knew I would work up a nervous sweat shortly.

Hearing his footsteps come nearer to me, I clung uneasily to the banister as the Joker asked the occupants of the room, "Do you know where she is? Who she is?"

Collectively, the room turned towards me trying to make myself invisible and as small as possible.

Geez, what did I ever do to them? They gave me over to save their own precious behinds. A momentary flame of anger sparked within me.

"Aaaaah, _there_ she is."

A perfect replica of Heath Ledger's Joker started strolling towards me, a purple gloved hand holding a knife tousled his greasy green hair as he smacked his lips. He was wearing a velvety purple coat, a green vest, tie, dark pair of pants, hexagonal shirt and simple brown dress shoes as a ridiculously put-together ensemble. Not to mention the silly multi-colored socks he was wearing.

"Well helloooo, beautiful!" His tongue lapped at his lower lip before he continued, pointing the blade at me directly. "And you _are _beautiful." By this point, he was about a foot away from me, and closed the gap by sniffing at me, causing my heart to skip a beat as the breath hitched in my throat. I clutched at the metal behind me even more tightly, thankful for the support.

Using a mockingly concerned tone, the Joker asked me, "You look nervous." He paused for effect, contemplating what it was that was frightening me. "Is it the scars? Wanna know how I got 'em?" The Joker nodded, as if answering his own question.

Oh no…

"Come here." The Joker grabbed my chin with the hand that had the knife, using his other hand to grab the nape of my neck. I was definitely stuck now.

I tried squirming against him, but it was to no avail. His grip on me was strong, and he was over a head taller than me. No way was I going to get myself out of this.

"Hey…look at me!" The Joker's voice took a very mildly threatening tone. My eyes settled back on his painted face, lingering on his horrific scars before travelling up to look into his eyes. Were these the eyes of a madman? The Joker's eyes belied no emotion whatsoever.

"So, I used to be a famous actor. I was world-renowned, in fact. Everywhere I went, there was the media, snapping away pictures and invading my privacy!" The Joker paused to lick his lips before continuing on. "I got pretty sick of the lifestyle. Why, I couldn't even step outside for a walk without running into either squealing fans or bothersome paparazzi!"

I was utterly entranced by his story, totally disregarding the occupants of the party who were no doubt watching in interest as the scene unfolded.

"So. One night, while I was out partying with my Hollywood buddies, I was flying high and out of my mind. Some sort of volatile cocktail mix of drugs and alcohol. I was complaining as usual about my predicament of having no privacy, when one of my friends brilliantly suggested that I change my look up. They wouldn't recognize me if I did that!" The Joker gripped my chin a bit more tightly, pausing once more to lick at his lips. It was maddening the way my eyes were drawn to the movement, and I caught myself replicating it.

The Joker took a deep breath. "Well, I got back to my apartment that night, a bottle of something or other in my hand. I tripped clumsily over myself and broke the bottle. When I saw that the shards of glass cut into my skin, I got a magnificent idea! I'd cut myself a big smile, that way my director wouldn't have to keep bugging me about those mean looking paparazzi shots that kept coming out in the magazines! So I take a particularly lethal looking jagged piece, and do this," the Joker pointed to his maniacal Glasgow grin with his knife, "to myself."

There was a silence in the room as he took his time to tell me the outcome. "You know what now?" His voice shifted into a more hysterical tone for a moment. "I don't get offered _any _roles! My agent dropped me, my friends left me. But now I see the funny side – I get recognized everywhere I go and I have no choice but to look _thrilled_!" The Joker let out a giggle, and I, as if bidden by some written hidden que, kneed him in the groin. There was no way I was getting a matching smile on _my _face.

The Joker merely laughed at my antics, but as he spoke, his voice slipped into the one whose owner I was all too familiar with. "That's not very nice. I just told you a very personal story. Care to share one of yours? Maybe the one where your boyfriend tried – " Before he could say a word more, I soundly smacked Freddy in the face. Looking at my smarting hand, I saw some of the Joker makeup on it.

Freddy let out a laugh before switching into his normal ensemble, claw and all. "Fiesty! Just like I like them."

I narrowed my eyes at him, before viciously biting back, "Too bad you were never taught _not _to use violence against girls."

Freddy grinned at me before crossing his arms. "And weren't you taught never to resort to violence?"

I had to concede that. "Touché." I paused before challengingly staring into his eyes. "But since that rule was broken, I won't mind crossing it yet again." I lunged at Freddy again, punching him squarely in the face.

When Freddy looked back at me, I immediately recognized that he was angry by the fiery look in his eyes. Good! He deserves that and a hell of a lot more for the pain that he caused me, and I was going to dish it to him.

Concentrating on swapping the inconvenient long dress to something more fight-appropriate, I found myself wearing black leather pants, a long black and white striped shirt and a black leather jacket on top of that. Hopefully that would protect me somewhat from the wrath of his claw. With a smirk, I replicated his glove on my right hand, clanging the metal blades together.

"Let's play, Freddy." Channeling all my anger into beating up Freddy, I once again lunged at the _thing _that was responsible for the death of two people that I loved. I got in a few swipes at him from his signature glove and my clothes felt the brunt of his attacks before I was jolted awake by my alarm clock.

Aching all over and slamming my alarm clock angrily, I rubbed my eyes to find myself surrounded in the darkness that prevailed at waking up at five in the morning. I realized then that I still had on Freddy's glove on my hand and I yelped meekly in surprise, hurriedly taking it off and hiding it underneath my bed.

Creeping slowly up to my door, I made sure it was fully closed before I landed back on my bed and buried my head in the pillow, crying and yelling for all I was worth.


	17. Stigmata

_Enjoy. The new Nightmare on Elm Street is out…anyone seen it?_

Chapter 17: Stigmata

"Love one another, for those are the words of the one who came down and gave his own life to save us all. It is not right for us to hold petty grudges when the son of God gave the ultimate sacrifice for us sinful people."

Staring slack-eyed at the priest as I fiddled with my flowery black mourning dress, I struggled to keep my eyelids open. This lack of restful and a plentiful amount of sleep were really wearing down on me. Not to mention the loss of. I gulped, feeling a deep pain within my chest. _Them._

But here I was, sitting in on Saturday early morning mass having read today's reading and listening to the priest's homily. The same hypocritical message as always. Love each other. Treat each other with respect. Forgive.

Too bad the congregation doesn't know that you're a sexist and racist bastard. Oh wait, I forgot that they are too…

Feeling the muscles in my jaw clench, I tried to settle myself. No use getting riled up over matters that don't concern me. Leisurely letting my eyes travel the length of the small church, I took in my surroundings for the millionth time.

I was sitting on a basic wooden chair covered with a pink cottony material on the back and seat part, a kneeler neatly hidden underneath. A few more of these chairs were facing the handful of people sitting in the wooden pews. Then the marble pulpit, from which the elderly priest cloaked in regal purple regalia was softly spouting things into the microphone that he himself didn't believe or practice truly.

A few rays of light were coming through the stained glass windows, breathing life into the different pictures of biblical scenarios, the swaying trees next to the church casting shadows into the gradually brightening building. The few elderly people in the pews didn't quite take notice, as they were listening (one could presume) attentively to the priest. Then there was my Dad, who I knew was clearly not listening. He was staring off into space.

Tell me about it, Dad.

The altar itself was cloaked with a purple cloth, since it is the season of Lent. Alongside a candle, there stood a tall cross, perhaps six feet or higher in length. Hanging on it, was a crown of thorns, and an amethyst cloth.

Sighing once more, I looked down at my hands, feeling unbearably tired. Would you finish, Father? Please? I don't know how much more I can stand. My eyes are already sliding closed. Please…

Feeling my head bob downwards, I tried to discreetly shake it to clear it, but found myself in different surroundings.

I was in our small confessional, a black veil covering my face and my black suit felt slightly uncomfortable as I was kneeling in front of the black screen that was there to keep the sinner's identity a secret.

Frowning, I cleared my throat before beginning my confession, knowing full well that it was Freddy behind that screen.

"Father, forgive me for I have sinned. It has been a month since my last confession. These are my sins." Steeling myself and peering through the screen, I saw Freddy's silhouette, his hands playing with one another and his claw clearly discernable.

"I caused the death of my friends. I lied to them and to my parents. For these and the sins that I have failed to mention, I am truly sorry." Lowering my head, I admitted that I felt a little easier now that I had actually said it aloud.

Hearing Freddy's growl, my head snapped up. "For your penance, you shall need to be crucified. That is the only way to be truly free of the mortal sins that you have committed!" He lunged at the screen, his metal claw tearing through the screen and narrowly missing my face as I stumbled backwards.

The door to the confession flew open as the screen was thrown to the side. Freddy clutched me by the throat and dragged me kicking against him and struggling for air down the center of the church, his eyes resolutely staring at the golden Tabernacle and the big painted frame of The Crucifixion. When his gaze met mine, a chill travelled down my spine. He wasn't kidding.

When he stopped in front of the huge wooden cross, I felt a paralyzing fear. I had wondered on some occasions, staring at the cross, how it would feel to have been in Jesus' shoes. I didn't want to truly find out!

As soon as Freddy let go of my throat, I let out an ear-piercing shriek. "No, you bastard!" Freddy merely smirked at me cruelly, and with a flick of his wrist, I was sprawled on the cross, my arms stretched out. The material that was on the cross wound around my arms, keeping them in place as I tried to wriggle myself out of my predicament.

Freddy took in my figure appraisingly, but frowned when he realized something wasn't quite right. Seeing the crown of thorns balancing precariously on the tip of the cross, he materialized a small set of stairs so that he could reach it and placed it on top of my head after taking off the black veil and chucking it to the side, making sure to dig it into the flesh of my scalp. I literally felt each and every thorn as each tried to permeate through my skin and screamed when a few did, feeling a few drops of blood escape.

Oh God, forgive me, but I swear that if it's the last thing I do on earth, I will send Freddy back to hell. Where he belongs.

With a taunt in his tone, Freddy mockingly asked me, "Where's your God, now?"

I hung my head as a tear slipped down my face, struggling to break free of the bonds, both visible and invisible, that held me.

"Let's see if he'll stop _this_." My stomach and heart plummeted as Freddy replicated his signature glove so that he had blades on each and every one of his fingers. No, no, no…

Pain as I have never felt before suddenly consumed me as Freddy started burying the blades located on his index fingers into the palm of my hands, blood gushing out to the tempo of my racing heart.

Why the fuck was no one helping me? I screwed my eyes shut as tears started streaming out of them, not wanting to see Freddy's leering grin as he enjoyed my suffering. That bastard will PAY.

Trying to not give attention to Freddy's blades as they started cutting through muscle and nerve endings, I concentrated on trying to wake myself up. Doesn't this amount of pain want to wake you up, Christine? He's plunging his blades into your hands.

Sobbing as the pain consumed me, I suddenly heard Freddy's voice. "Bye bye for now! I'll pick up where I left off later!" I swear I continued to hear his maniacal laughter even after I was awoken by my father.

"Christine! Are you alright?" My father's concerned face was blurry to my teary eyes. When I wiped my eyes, I found myself supported by him next to the cross, my wobbly knees dangerously close to giving. When I looked over to the pews, the occupants of the church were all fervently praying, and the priest too was on his knees.

"What a miracle! One of our own receiving stigmata!" the priest said almost delightedly, his voice coupled with disbelief and joy.

That was it.

"What kind of fucking _miracle _is receiving THIS by a demon? Hmm? And you didn't even attempt to help me! What the hell is your problem?" I was beyond angry, and having found a target, I let loose on the priest. I knew that disbelief was also held due to the fact that he couldn't believe it would happen to a _girl_, too.

The entire church was gaping at me – here I was, the epitome of the perfect Catholic, having slung a curse at a priest. Ohh, didn't _I _step out of line!

They were saved from any more of my anger when I suddenly fainted in my father's arms, the delicious blackness saving me from the throbbing pain of my hands and head. My last thought before I slipped into oblivion was that I was still wearing the crown of thorns on my head.


	18. Vendetta

_I saw the new Nightmare on Elm Street. It felt…odd. Like watching an entirely new movie. Oh, and I put a violin cover of the Nightmare on Elm Street theme music on my YouTube channel. The link is on my profile here. _:]

Chapter 18: Vendetta

Opening my eyes and trying to steady my shaking body, I found myself in an infinitely long, immaculately sterile white hallway, akin to the one I was in while searching for Alyssa. The memory of my fallen friend wrenched my heart. This time I'm not looking for a friend.

In fact, quite the opposite.

There was a multitude of doors on each side, and I limped to the nearest one, gnashing my teeth in pain as I turned the cool metal of the silver doorknob with my fresh wound. My mind faintly noted that I left a trail of blood behind.

I wasn't quite prepared to see the sight before me.

A little girl, no older than six years old, was sitting on a tiny red plastic chair reading a small chapter book. Her auburn hair was put up in two pigtails, and she was wearing a vibrant blue dress that was sprinkled with tiny little flowers. She was also wearing white sandals and matching white ankle socks with ruffles.

It was me.

I must have been in preschool or kindergarten then, because there was a multitude of other little kids that were playing house and kitchen in the various other stations in the room. I vaguely remembered the cheery pink classroom.

I also remember the need for camaraderie that wasn't as forthcoming as I wanted it to be. Whenever that was the case, I remembered all too vividly burying myself in reading…

The little girl, _I_, was swinging my legs, caught up in whatever I was reading.

Glaring at the scene before me, I tried to find out if Freddy was hiding anywhere inside the room. Sure enough, I made out his figure by the group of children listening intently to the story he was telling them as he gestured wildly to his narrative. Just as soon as he felt my angry gaze, he got up from the floor and slowly but surely made his way towards my younger self. Although anger was boiling inside of me, curiosity reigned and I stood there, waiting to see what he would do.

My eyes trailed his strange yet graceful stalk, and I marveled at how my younger self was totally oblivious to Freddy's presence due to being engrossed in the book. I wondered whether to open my mouth or not, worrying my lip at the thought that if Freddy hurt her, there was a chance that he might hurt me through her.

Freddy stopped directly in back of her, his claw ever so delicately playing with the strands of hair on my younger self's right ponytail with a trace of amusement. I narrowed my eyes even further, silently bidding my younger counterpart to acknowledge his presence.

Freddy crouched forward to position himself next to her ear, whispering something that I couldn't quite hear from where I was positioned. I quirked my head to the side, trying to read his lips. Something about looking pretty in that dress…oh, _ew!_

Seeing Freddy's tongue snake out was the last straw – I ran up to the creep, fully intent on punching his face in, only to find that he disappeared just as soon as I swung my fist.

Bastard!

My younger self calmly continued to read the story as if nothing had occurred. Shaking my head at the sight, I relaxed my hands as I ran out the room, realizing that putting pressure on the gaping wounds in my hands was certainly not beneficial.

Slamming the door behind me, I crossed the hallway to the door opposite the one I just left. Irritably opening it with a flourish, I got the urge to immediately close it. I didn't need to be reminded of this.

Yet again, a memory from the past – this time I was a little older. I was getting bullied by fellow classmates, and there I was, sitting at my desk and taking their insults with not a word said in my defense.

Freddy was languidly sitting at the teacher's desk, laughter bubbling out of him as he leisurely took in my reaction.

Seething as I felt the anger overtake me once more, I stormed up to the desk as Freddy moved to sit upright in his seat. Narrowing my eyes at him, I hissed, "What is your problem?" before snatching the material of his ridiculously colored sweater.

Freddy said nothing, choosing rather to further the smirk that was seemingly plastered onto his face. Before I could open my mouth and launch into a tirade, Freddy changed our surroundings, his eyes never once leaving my face. It was unsettling to say the least, and I clutched onto his sweater a bit more tightly as my surroundings blurred.

My grip on his sweater slackened as I turned myself around to see what other memory Freddy found it humorous to dig up from my head.

It was Alyssa…and she was looking awfully brazen, as if she had a plan up her sleeve. I had a feeling that I knew which memory Freddy specifically chose to torture me with.

A shudder travelled down the length of my spine as Freddy pulled me to his chest, heat radiating from him in waves and warming my frigid body. I half-heartedly resisted the urge to melt onto him, feeling weak in the knees, but I didn't want to show my feeble state. I'm sure Freddy picked it up regardless, considering he nudged his wrinkled nose against my ear before whispering, "Keep watching, Chrisssstine," sounding almost like a snake as he held the 's' sound.

Feeling another shudder pass through me, I forced myself to look at the events that were about to unfold.

Alyssa smirked, paying attention to her well-kept nails as Daniel, my crush ever since I first laid eyes on him years ago, leisurely strolled into the room.

Oh, I knew exactly which memory he chose.

Daniel took the seat next to Alyssa with a long sigh, crossing his legs in a distracted manner as Alyssa inched closer furtively. She started unconsciously playing with some loose strands of hair as she asked Dan what the matter was.

Daniel acknowledged her question with a small upturn of his lips. Moving so that he was facing Alyssa, Dan buried his head in his hands for a moment before letting them drop to his lap. Alyssa started rubbing his right arm reassuringly, trying to coax what was irking him out of his lips.

"Dan, what's wrong?" Alyssa's tone was distinctly sympathetic, and it caused Daniel to break from his particular train of thought.

Another sigh. "Just…I ended it with Brittany." There went his wonderful sapphire eyes, boring into Alyssa's prying gaze. I felt a familiar pain within my chest at the stirring of old memories that have since been swept under the rug for the sake of what was once our friendship.

Alyssa's soothing massage to Daniel's arm suddenly stopped and turned into a mildly harsh grip. Her tone switched to a pitiable shocked one, when gasping, "No! I'm so sorry!"

Daniel immediately shook his head emphatically. "Don't be. We mutually ended it. Things were just…boring between us. It hasn't been working out."

Alyssa remarked, "It doesn't make it any easier, though." Daniel merely nodded in affirmation, and Alyssa's attention was drawn to the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he gulped.

I can't look at this! Hearing the tale from Alyssa was enough. I don't need our discussion becoming a skit for me to fully see! I turned my head away, closing my eyes at the sights before me.

Of course, Freddy had different plans. As soon as he felt my head move away from what he so graciously wrought before me, his gloved hand found its way to my face, whipping my face forward once more.

"_Watch._" Freddy hissed, the blades on his fingers itching to dig into my pale skin. I felt the anger and resentment rise once more within me like bile, and I let the knives cut into my face as I wrenched myself away from him.

With an angry glower, I responded with, "I don't have to do _anything,_ Freddy." Before he could fashion a response, I unfortunately caught a glimpse of Alyssa with her tongue down Daniel's throat as I raced out the door. Feeling dismay, betrayal and anger, I yanked open the door, paying no heed to my once more freely bleeding wound.

I started running down the hall, peeking behind me to see if Freddy was still advancing, which he most definitely was. He didn't look too happy, either. There were a multitude of doors to my left and right, so I planned to quickly enter one and hopefully lose Freddy in the process. Sneaking another glance, Freddy started laughing at me as he somehow conjured up a scooter and was absurdly leaning forward to try and make it go fast. It almost threw me off balance, but I grabbed onto a door handle with my left hand, hurriedly getting inside of the room and closing the door behind me, resting my back against the white wood and closing my eyes.

I took a moment to regain my breath and strength, as I slowly opened my eyes and took in my new surroundings. It was a white cushioned room, brightly lit with fluorescent bulbs. I felt a tug at my clothes.

"Boo." One of the three little girls that I had previously met nearly scared the daylights out of me and prompted a slew of unsightly curses from my lips as I fought to keep my heartbeat off the charts.

Not smart, Christine! Now Freddy heard where you are! But then again, he reigns over this dream world. He probably knew you were here in the first place.

The hopelessness of my situation wore at me and I felt a little dejected.

"Oh Christiiiiiiine! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Freddy's voice was muffled yet echoed by some bizarre feat in the cushioned room.

God, I wish I had something to protect myself with in here! The sinister little brat was looking at me a tad bit strangely, and I bet she's got an ominous plan cooked up already. I narrowed my eyes at the blonde girl, fervently trying to conjure up, at the very least, a baseball bat. To my immense satisfaction, the beige bat materialized in front of my eyes and precisely into the palm of my right hand. Positioning it by letting it hover in front of my right shoulder, I saw the girl pouting prettily at me.

"That's not nice, Christine," the little voice snottily remarked. Opening my mouth to respond, my jaw dropped when I realized she was changing form. Being literally against the wall (or door, as my case was), I had nowhere to go and waited for her to finish. She was still wearing her white party dress, but I let out a squeal when I realized she morphed into me!

"Okay, that is just _freaky_, little girl." I nervously held on to the bat, adjusting its weight in my hands.

"Little girl? Why, I'm Christine! Or perhaps I should play the part completely…" The girl's voice trailed off as she focused for a split second, and was bound by a straight jacket the next. "Now I'm you!" The little girl, now a mirror copy of myself, was laughing hysterically as she inched forward towards me.

With a yelp, I swung blindly at her before opening the door and running outside, almost right into Freddy.

Taken by surprise, I fell flat on my rear end as I tried to avoid running smack into Freddy. Freddy's beam just widened as he used his left hand to tip his fedora forward, the brim almost covering his eyes from my gaze.

"My, wasn't that a fun little chase!" The little girl who was still pretending to be me traipsed over to Freddy, a crazed grin marring her (my?) features. "Too bad it's over…" Freddy started moving forward, and I tried to surreptitiously yet quickly move away. The first part was failing horribly.

"…for now."

I let out a scream as darkness enveloped me, and I kicked and flailed my arms about, hoping for some purchase.

It came when I was jostled back into reality, and found myself held down by someone.

"_GET OFF ME! RIGHT NOW!_" I screamed into the oxygen mask, sincerely freaking out as I tried to distinguish what was going on.

"Christine! Christine! It's just me, Dad!" As soon as I heard those words, I visibly relaxed, sagging into the bed.

Bed?

I opened my eyes fully, trying to make out where I was. I was currently in an ambulance that was racing, sirens on, towards the hospital. Ah, I get it – I fainted, met Freddy in that state of unconsciousness, and during that horrible time, they got me here.

I looked over to a very worried Dad, positioned next to the EMT who took off the oxygen mask cautiously. "Dad?" I croaked, before coughing and swallowing some spit. "Are you okay?"

Dad laughed with a tinge of hysteria. "You're asking if _I'm_ okay? Honey, are _you _okay?"

I slowly picked up my arms which felt like dead weights to see the wounds that were freshly wrapped up in gauze, yet still visibly crimson. Looking back towards Dad, I replied, "Yeah…I'm okay."

Dad knew better than to believe that, but said nothing as we finally arrived to the hospital.


	19. Trepidation

_One of these months, I hit 955 views. Yay for readers! Even if you guys are silent. Hehe. A special thanks to my reviewers and those who favorited my story; you guys make me all happy inside. Without further ado, the LONG overdue chapter._

Chapter 19: Trepidation

As I was wheeled through the hallways of the hospital, I was happy to realize that my mind was mercifully blank and focused on the fluorescent light fixtures above me. I observed that one needed to be changed as it was flickering. On. Off. On again.

I looked to my right to see that an elderly doctor was helping a much younger nurse wheel me to an available room. Hey, Doc? I think I'm going crazy! I couldn't help but let out a giggle, and he looked down at me, confused. After all, what did I have to giggle about? Hmm?

His coat was buttoned up wrong, and it was irking me. The buttons were not in their correct holes, so the coat was positioned lopsided on him. You see Doctor, when you button it that way, one lone button is by itself. Kind of like how I am. Close to people, yet not exactly part of their group…

The doctor chose that moment to speak to me, disturbing my self-pitying train of thought. "Hello Christine. My name is Doctor Jones." Hi, Doctor Grandpa. "I will be your doctor for the length of your stay in the hospital. We'll patch you up as soon as possible, and you should be out in no time!" I reciprocated his warm albeit tired smile before looking to my left and into the worried countenance of my father. When he realized I was looking he shot me a small smile and moved to take my hand gently in his. I held in a hiss of pain, biting my tongue and closing my eyes momentarily.

When I did close my eyes, I immediately recognized the rusty, fiery pipes that were native to Freddy's boiler room. Opening my eyes, it disappeared without a trace; just the hospital hallway again.

Freaky…

And if I try again? Shutting my eyes slowly, the boiler room dissolved into view along with the clamor and whirring of the ancient yet somehow not faulty machines. My eyes scanned the expanse under my closed eyelids, finding myself deep within Freddy's metal labyrinth. Hearing the harsh scrape of metal that ruthlessly assaulted my ears, I opened my eyes again to find myself back in the comforting sterile environment of the hospital. I was in a sparsely decorated room this time, however.

"I hope you enjoy your stay at the hospital. We will do our best to make sure you leave as soon as possible." The blonde nurse smiled down at me warmly, tucking me into the covers of the bed before turning away to rummage through a few cabinets. "We need to run some tests and you'll be out before you know it." I let my mouth curl up into a halfhearted smile, feeling a tug of tiredness seep my strength from me.

Oh Freddy, you just couldn't keep away, could you?

* * *

Looking down into the auburn eyes of my daughter, I was startled to see a vacant expression. After that outburst in the church…well, I don't know what's going on with her. There's something definitely bothering her. I'm betting it has something to do with these killings going on.

I swear I'll wring the neck of the bastard who is causing all these people pain, justice be damned.

_Freddy_.

Taking Christine's freezing hand into my own, I squeezed it gently.

It'll be alright, baby. Daddy's here.

* * *

So sleepy. So freaking sleepy.

_Must fight it_.

My eyelids are drooping. I can't do this.

_I have to do this._

"Christine? You there?" Oh, Dad's talking. With a concerted effort, I looked at him.

"Yeah, I'm here. Sorry I wasn't listening. Just tired. Really tired." I proffered a small smile which faltered immediately.

Dad looked concerned and sat up from his seat. I can't believe I didn't even notice that he sat down, or that the nurse left. "If you're tired, then you should rest up! You've been through a lot lately. Too much, in fact. Get some sleep."

My eyes flew open in fear. "No, Dad! I can't! I can't fall asleep!" I've gotta convince him to get me back home. I'll never make it alive over here! The urge to nod off is distressing, not to mention a matter of life and death.

I don't think Dad's quite convinced yet. He's definitely fishing for words. "Christine, honey. You need to doze off. I can speak to the nurse to see when they'll discharge you –"

"Thank you, Daddy!" I smiled, feeling tears start to prick my eyes. "Be back soon." Dad nodded to me after a small while, returning the smile before brushing some hair off of my face. I didn't miss the curious look he gave me at the development of marks on my cheek from Freddy. He nodded once more before exiting the room. I listened to his footsteps, noting that he was running.

Good. Hurry back. I don't want to know what Freddy has in store for me, but I am certainly not ready for it.

_Freddy._

Looking around my cramped hospital room, I noticed that Dad had a steaming cup of coffee that was hidden from my plain of sight when he was sitting. Aha! Exactly what I need.

Sitting up slowly, I tried not to jostle the IV drip as I steadily moved myself off the bed. Finally, I was on my deathly cold feet on the black and white tiled floor. Grabbing a hold of the plastic cup, I gulped down the scalding coffee, burning my tongue in the process. Paying no heed to the pain, I took a few seconds to breathe and peered into the cup. I drank half of it…hopefully it'll be enough. Can't arouse Dad's suspicion.

I crawled back into bed, minding my mangled hands. By the time Dad returned, I was comfortably back in the same position, not quite feigning a yawn.

"Chrissy? I pulled some strings for you," Thank GOD for my Dad! "The nurse told me that they'll release you now if I keep an eye on you at home, and you'll have to return tomorrow – "

"Thank you SO much Dad! I knew you could help me! Now I can sleep in my own bed!" I climbed out of bed, tearing off the heart rate monitor to hug him closely. The flat line attracted the attention of a nurse outside my door and she rushed in. "Is everything okay?"

Dad answered, "Yes, we were just leaving." Kissing my head, he handed me the dress I was wearing during church to change into and went to stand outside, taking the nurse with him and shutting the door.

The relief I felt was palatable. You can do this, Christine. Shirking my hospital gown, I quickly wriggled into my dress, rushing outside to join my Dad.

"Okay, I'm ready!" I brightly said, clutching Dad's arm. Dad let out a chuckle as he scanned my body, and I quickly realized why – I wasn't wearing any shoes. With a small smile, Dad whisked me into his burly arms and carried me down the hall, letting me down gently before the front desk. As he was signing me out of the hospital, I scanned the lobby, eyeing a TV that was on mute. News about an officer getting shot? Shit, who could it be?

No.

_No._ Not Officer Miller!

Freddy. Fucking. Krueger.

"You okay honey?" Dad put a hand on my shoulder, bringing me back to reality. "Yeah, Dad. I'm fine." My lips twitched upwards in a semblance of a smile, and he whisked me back into his arms. I nuzzled my face into his chest, taking comfort in his cologne and warmth.

The car ride was uneventful; just shared silence of the two of us, each in our own worlds. Dad would look at me and I'd catch him staring. He'd then look away and back at the road. It broke my heart to see him so worried about me, but it was justified worrying – although of a kind that no one in their right minds would ever even dream about.

Ha, dream.

Lucky for me, Dad put on the emergency lights to get home as fast as possible and we got there in just a few minutes.

Ahh, my bed. My warm comfortable bed. _That I shouldn't fall asleep in_, my mind chimed.

Yes. I can't fall asleep. My life depends on it.

"Okay, kiddo. We're here. I'm sure your Mom is worried sick, so try to look alive, okay?" I nodded, plastering a more positive image on my face. Dad shut his car door, walking over to my side to open it like a true gentleman would. "Shall we?" I chuckled at Dad's antics, nodding again.

I fought the scratchy throat feeling that I got when I wanted to cry. I love my parents, and I could lose them at any minute.

Wrapping my arms around Dad, he whisked me out of the car and used his hip to close the door. Mom already had the door open and stood there, a wreck on legs.

"Christine! Are you alright?" Her meek tone struck a chord in me. I couldn't help it, a tear slid down my face as I replied, "Yes, Mom. I'm alright."

* * *

Now that I've finally convinced her to change and stay in bed, I'll stay guard and protect Christine from this Freddy fellow.

No way in hell am I going to let some creep endanger_ my_ little princess.

Sneaking a tiny peek through a small crack through the door, I see that Christine did take my advice and is sleeping soundly. Good girl. She needs it. I can't imagine what she's going through between all this supernatural crap and her friends dying. All by the hands of this Freddy guy.

Taking my state issued gun into my hands, I ready the tool of killing.

Just you fucking show up here, Freddy. I'm waiting.


	20. Showdown

_And here it is, folks. The last chapter. I can't believe I actually pulled through and finished! I never thought I would be writing more than just that first chapter, but I'm glad that I continued – I met a few new awesome friends (you guys know who you are! ;] ). Enjoy the last installment of my story and do comment!_

Chapter 19: Showdown

Fuck.

Fuckfuckfuckfuck_fuck_.

Opening my eyes again, my eyes tried in vain to adjust to the eerie and total blackness.

I fell asleep. All it took was setting my head down on the pillow. Was my willpower that weak?

Trying to move my limbs, I realized that I was tied down to a table of some sort. _Naked._ Darting my eyes around, I searched desperately for any sign of Freddy, my moan at my misfortune muffled by duck tape.

"Ahh, you're _awake._" I've got to focus. I can do this. I've no choice but to lie down patiently and try to figure out where his voice is coming from. In the meantime…

Aw, damn! I cringed at the sudden flood of surgical white light illuminating a plastic covered room. Bastard.

"You always were such a creep, weren't you Christine? Lusting after the bad guy." Not now, Freddy. _Don't_.

"I mean…seriously? A few serial killers, _myself included of course_, disfigured creeps…I don't know why you ever wondered why you couldn't get a date!" I could just hear that bastard's glee. He finally came into view, dressed in Dexter Morgan's signature garb during his kills – a shiny black apron covering a green jumpsuit with black bloots, coupled with a butcher's knife.

As much as I loved Dexter, I did _not _like where this was going.

_Focus, _Christine.

Freddy was closing the gap between us slowly, clearly reveling in the fear radiating off of me.

"I've waited a long time for this, Christine." Freddy smiled down at me, and I was looking to the countenance of handsome Michael Hall. My heart lurched as his smile turned into a sinister smirk. How to define that lurch was beyond me.

Without any preamble, Freddy ripped the duct tape off my lips, evoking a hoarse cry at the stinging sensation.

"Look at them." My eyes followed where he was pointing to – a line of wooden coffins with pictures on them – Mike, Alyssa, Officer Miller. A few other kids from my school. Jack.

I couldn't hold it in. Tears started running down my face, blurring my vision. Look at how many have suffered, all because of me. All because of my damn unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

"It was you. You killed them." I couldn't deny it. Jack died because of me. I killed him myself. He died because_ I shot him._ The rest – indirectly my fault, but I had some influence.

"No," I managed to finally say. "I didn't kill them. _You _did, you bastard!" I clenched my jaw, the anger finally throbbing in my veins fueling a little rebellion.

Freddy's maniacal laugh was unnerving, but there wasn't much I could do from my position – I was tied to the table by some sort of plastic wrapping.

"Christine, Christine…you've still got a long way to go. You're one lucky bitch! I don't intend on killing you yet. I need you to get to the real world, where I can get to the rest of my children." Freddy climbed onto the table, taking a hold of my bare arms. He was surprised to find that I had managed to cut away the plastic around my hands with a knife during the time that he was playing theatrics. I was putting what I learned from my time in the dream world to use.

I dug my nails deeply into Freddy's muscles with a feral growl. A mixture of surprise and mirth was his response to it. Feeling myself grow angrier, I suddenly was unsettled as I was pulled into a type of vortex and I realized that he was pulling us back into the real world.

Now we're on _my _turf. Not to mention, Dad's right outside my door!

Just as soon as my surroundings stopped spinning, Freddy started shaking my body with a scowl. "You thought your claws would do anything to _me, _little pussy cat?" I realized that he was wearing his usual attire as all I saw was a blur of red and green stripes as his shirt came in and out of my view. I also felt his blades dig into my back, drawing blood with each shake.

When Freddy finally stopped shaking me, I tried to come to my senses and formulate some sort of thought. When I looked to my door, I could clearly see Dad's sleeping form because it was slightly open. _Fuck_.

"No one can save you now, Christine. Looks like you served your purpose since we're both here. That only means one thing…" With the look of a child on Christmas morning, Freddy Krueger plunged his steel knives into my stomach. Nothing could have ever prepared me for what excruciating pain blossomed at that moment and the scream that was ripped from my core and passed through my lips was unrecognizable.

My body snapped into fetal position, curling me up into a screaming mass. Freddy was enjoying the show, kneeling in such a way that he was hovering over me, closely observing my reaction.

When at long last I finally stopped screaming, I gathered up all the strength within me to hoarsely start talking. "You took everything, _everything, _away from me. My best friends. My chance at redemption. My life." I stopped momentarily, wheezing. "But if I'm going to hell, I'm not going there alone – you're coming with me." Turning with a resolute look into Freddy's monstrous face, I finally pulled the replica of Freddy's glove from underneath my bed, plunging it deep into his chest with a grimace.

Freddy coughed up a huge bubble of blood onto my neck, the murder and surprise glistening in his eyes lessening with each passing moment.

With a quirk of his lips, he breathed, "_Bitch_." He continued heavily sinking onto the blades on my hand as he steadily lost his strength, squeezing my frail frame along with it. Considering he still had the blades inside him, I used the last ounce of strength I had within me to pull them towards me, making the holes in his abdomen even larger. I wasn't going to let this bastard live. I needed to see him die before I breathed my last.

The evil life within Freddy Krueger's blue eyes finally dimmed completely. His body started disappearing from my sight. With a relieved sigh, I focused on counting my rattling breaths. How many left until I join him in hell? Perhaps I should try a last minute attempt at asking God's forgiveness.

I heard someone moving outside my door and realized that now that Freddy was dead and gone, Dad would wake up. Oh Dad, you can't see me like this…

* * *

How the hell did I just nod off like that? I just drank some coffee! Fuck!

Rushing up to Christine's door, my heart plummeted to the floor when I saw a menacing looking glove with knives on her right hand, covered in blood. Running into the room, I was horrifyingly stunned to find Christine's entire bed a bloody mess. I fought the bile that was ready to spill out of me.

I tore at the few pieces of gray hair I had with a mangled cry. I couldn't fucking stay awake, and now my only daughter is dead!

Looking into Christine's bloodied face, I was astonished to find that she was still alive. She slowly blinked at me, managing a small smile. I fought very hard to keep the tears from clouding my vision; I couldn't afford it now. These are the last glimpses I'll ever have of her. I hesitantly pushed a few strands of hair out of her face, fearing she might crumble underneath my touch.

Her small gravelly whisper suddenly broke the silence. "I killed him, Daddy. Freddy's dead." I was rendered speechless and was uncertain as to how I was to respond. With a satisfied and peaceful smile, Christine breathed, "I love –" before her eyes became empty orbs staring eerily into mine.

I sunk to my knees with a sob that shook my whole body. I didn't even notice that my wife entered the room until she clung desperately to my body with a howl reminiscent of my own.

_Daddy loves you too, Christine._


End file.
